Mar
20
2009
Maintaining and Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal
Most homeowners today consider a garbage disposal a necessary part of the kitchen. We tend to take these little gadgets for granted and assume they can handle anything we drop down the drain. However, we do need to take care of the garbage disposal to keep it in good working order and odor free.
A few tips for good garbage disposal care:
Avoid putting very thick food items into the disposal (bones, very thick fruits and vegetables). Most of the bad odors are caused from rotting food. Stringy foods such as celery and banana peels can easily become wrapped around the blades and cause odors.
Always run cold water as you wash anything down the disposal and follow up by running cold water after each use. Don’t use hot water which can melt animal fats that can later become gooey and cause clogs further down your drain.
Occasionally run cold water and drop a glass of ice down the disposal – this helps to clean the blades and loosen hard buildups of gunk. Run cold water before, during & after.
Clean your disposal with baking soda & vinegar – avoid toxic chemicals!
Boil water in a small boiler. Pour half a cup of baking soda down the disposal and follow it with a cup of white vinegar – you’ll hear the fizzing of a chemical reaction – this is normal. Let this stand for a minute and then follow it with the boiling water.
Always keep kitchen utensils from falling down the disposal which bends and damages the blades.
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Tags: Garbage Disposals
