The invention of the garbage disposal in your sink made the way for less trash. Food leftovers can be quickly chopped up in the disposal and washed away. Ingenious!
When searching for a garbage disposal, always consider the safety features, quality of the motor and blades. Once you choose your best sink disposal, there are seven tips to keep the disposal operating.
1.Clean the Rubber Safety Guard
Over time, the rubber safety guard can gather food residue. Grab an old toothbrush, baking soda and dish detergent. Make a paste with the baking soda and dish detergent. Use the toothbrush to scrub the rubber guard with the paste. After a thorough scrubbing, rinse the sink out with cold water.
2.Strange Odors
Strange odors may arise from your sink if you haven’t cleaned your disposal in a while. Take a lemon or another citrus fruit and cut it into four sections. Put the whole fruit sections, rind and everything into the garbage disposal. Allow cold water to run through the sink. Then, turn on the garbage disposal.
3.Sharpen the Blades
Blades on your garbage disposal may become dull over time. To sharpen your blades, put one cup of ice cubes in your garbage disposal. Turn the disposal on. Do not turn on the water. Allow the ice cubes to be completely chopped up by the blades. Then, rinse the sink out with warm water.
4.Blockage
Some food items can clog the garbage disposal. Before trying to remove anything from your garbage disposal, first turn of the power supply. Then, use a flashlight to look into the disposal. If the blockage is visible, use a wooden dowel rod to gently dislodge the blockage. After dislodging the item that was stuck, you can carefully remove it with pliers. Never put your fingers into the garbage disposal.
5.Sanitize
Garbage disposals can be a breeding ground for all sorts of germs that grow on the bits of food particles left behind. Use Borax to sanitize and disinfect your garbage disposal. Sprinkle three tablespoons of borax in your garbage disposal. Let it sit for one hour. Then, let cold water wash through the disposal for one minute.
6.Slow Draining
A clog may be in the drain pipe if your garbage disposal is draining slowly. If the clog is not in the disposal itself, you need to check the pipe. The discharge pipe connected to the disposal will have to be unbolted. Check the discharge pipe and the drain pipe going into the wall. Use a sink auger to clear the drain pipe. Reassemble the drain pipes and run water to see if the clog has been removed.
7.Leaking
The vibration of the garbage disposal can lead to loose bolts over time. If you notice water leaking from the garbage disposal, check the bolts and drain pipe. Tighten all the garbage disposal bolts that hold it together under the sink. You may have to replace the plumber’s putty around the pipe connections.
