Tips on Maintaining, Not Malfunctioning Your Garbage Disposal

With so much emphasis this holiday season placed on food... office parties, Santa's cookies, cookie swaps, family parties, school parties, Church gatherings and plays, homemade gifts, get togethers with friends... come on food is important.

We do not want to run into unnecessary trouble and chaos in our kitchens do we?

More importantly, we do not wish to run into difficulties with our garbage disposal. I know I do not. That one lone gadget is a mighty important facet of our kitchen.

Tips on maintaining - not malfunctioning your garbage disposal

Good- Run cold water when you run your disposal.

Good- If you can tell that it is jammed (the noise alone will alert you) turn the disposal off right away! This can prevent the motor from overheating and the entire disposal going kaput. Having a kaput garbage disposal is not something I want to have to deal with on Christmas Eve. (The 4th of July weekend was bad enough!)

Good- Have you ever turned on your disposal and the smell permeated throughout the home? Disposals accumulate foul odors form that which we have disposed of in them. A preventative is to place baking soda and either lime or lemon peels down them once a week. Orange peels can work, but they not highly recommended due to the size and thickness.

Good- Although water conservation is well and good, go ahead and run cold water for five to ten seconds after you have turned off your disposal to allow particles to continue flowing through.

Good- Read all instructions and directions. That is never a bad thing.

Bad- Do not grind too much at once. Why? You do have a trashcan.

Bad- Do not grind starchy foods or fibrous foods: artichokes, bones, celery, potato skins, rice, fruit pits etc. Doing so can bring the life of your garbage disposal to an early demise.

Bad- Pouring grease is a no- no! Nothing too hot and no grease at all. Pour into a can and then place in the garbage or compost heap.

Bad- Grinding up anything that is non-edible is not a good thing. Therefore, no aluminum foil, paper plates, napkins, cardboards, glass... Again, recycle or toss.

A friend of mine had to have their garbage disposal replaced every year. At first, her husband passed blame onto the builders and the manufacturers of their home and appliances. However, they have since lived on two more homes, and still the disposal was being replaced too often. He finally began observing her and before you knew it disposal rules- do's and don'ts were placed above the sink.

There is no need to go that far... is there?