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How to Properly Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Melbourne Plumber

If you have ever lived in a home with a garbage disposal you know how much of a help they can be when it is time to clean up the dishes. Instead of having to stand over the trash can and scrape every plate, you can rinse them off over the disposal while it is running. The device chews up the leftovers into small pieces which your pipes can safely carry away.

But the disposal is like any other appliance. It needs to be maintained to work properly and to have a long service life. According to Consumer Reports over half of all American homes have a garbage disposal. So this information is useful to roughly 175 million people.

Steps to Cleaning Disposal

1. Run the disposal while pouring in a large cup of ice cubes. Be patient and pour them in one or two at a time.
2. Cut some citrus, like orange peels, and run them down the disposal while it is turned on.
3. Run the unit while cold water is pouring through it for 15 seconds or more after you have added the peels.

Other tips for using the garbage disposal

• Remember, short bursts are best for the unit. If there is nothing being chopped up while it is on then turn it off.
• Make sure to run it long enough to get the pieces finely chopped. Or you will end up with a clog.
• Don’t overload the unit. Let it eat the garbage at a nice rate.
• Turn on the unit and then dump the matter into the unit. Do not dump first before you turn it on. This puts unnecessary strain on the motor.