The Do’s and Don’ts of Garbage Disposal Maintenance

When it comes to sheer convenience, few appliances have as much of an impact on your household than your garbage disposal. Your disposal is handy for getting rid of food scraps and waste that might otherwise create a smelly mess in your kitchen.

Garbage disposal maintenance is absolutely essential if you want it to last for years to come. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind to keep your disposal in great shape and prevent maintenance emergencies.

Do’s

• Operate your garbage disposal regularly. Disuse can lead to rust, corrosion and clogs.
• Drop a few frozen vinegar cubes into your garbage disposal. This not only keeps the blades sharp, but it also helps clean and disinfect the disposal itself.
• Flush your garbage disposal with cold water and keep running your disposal until all food scraps have been flushed out.

Don’ts

• Don’t grind onion peels, corn husks and other stringy, fibrous foods in your disposal. These fibers can easily get tangled around the motor and burn it out.
• Don’t feed bones, fruit pits and other extremely hard foods into your disposal.
• Don’t stick your hand into your garbage disposal to retrieve dropped items without disconnecting the unit’s power beforehand. If possible, use needle-nose pliers or a bent coat hanger to retrieve items.

Don’t forget that your technician can also help out with garbage disposal maintenance, especially when it comes to tough jobs like motor repairs and blade replacements.

The experts at Roth Heating & Cooling can help maintain your garbage disposal. Contact us whenever your Portland home’s disposal needs a professional’s touch.