How You Should Treat Garbage Disposer

View large

Food Waste Disposer Guides

Posted on March 23, 2018 at 5:13 am by Levin / 0

So, you’re thinking about getting a garbage disposer, or you just moved into a home with a garbage disposer. Maybe you’ve had one in your house your whole life, or maybe this is a first-time experience. Either way, we have a few tips (or gentle reminders) about how to treat your garbage disposer and a handy do’s and don’ts list for what can go in your disposer.

Howard Shooter / Getty Images

Pros of a Garbage Disposer

If you are a positive person, so you like to look at the good side of any situation first. You didn’t grow up with a garbage disposer, so when you moved into a house that had one, you might have thought it was pretty neat.

It makes cleaning dishes easier. Dishes must be your least favorite chore, so anything that cuts down on my cleaning time makes me a happy camper.

It keeps the pipes clear of food scraps. No big crumbs mean no clogged pipes, and if you can skip raking the crumbs into the trashcan and go straight to the sink, crumbs don’t end up on the floor.

But as far as you are concerned, that’s pretty much where the benefits of a garbage disposer end.

Cons of a Garbage Disposal

Don’t get us wrong, the pros are strong contenders and probably just having or buying a garbage disposer; but if you feel responsible for giving you not only the benefits but also the downsides of having a garbage disposer.

They smell bad. All the food crumbs that you grind don’t just disappear. They sit and decay and eventually, the grit and sludge start to emit an odor.

They break. Everything breaks at some point, and garbage disposers are no exception. That is not the point of contention. The biggest problem is that if a single piece of the garbage disposer breaks, such as the seal, you’ll still have to buy a whole new garbage disposer unit.

How to Use a Garbage Disposer

Using a garbage disposer is pretty self-explanatory, but using it properly is important. A conservative estimate for the life of a garbage disposer is eight to ten years, and given ten years isn’t too bad of a lifespan. And the better you treat your garbage disposer, the longer it will last.

The first step in taking the best care of your garbage disposer is being selective about what you put down the drain. This is where the Do’s and Don’t come in.

Here’s what you CAN put in your garbage disposer:

Very small food particles, like breadcrumbs.

Small pieces of eggshell

Small chicken and fish bones

Small amounts of coffee grounds

Select vegetable scraps

The key here is to only put small items down the sink. A garbage disposer is NOT equipped to deal with huge pieces of anything, and even some smaller scraps are bad for a disposal.

The list of what you can’t put in a garbage disposer is much longer than what you can put in a garbage disposer.

Here’s what you CAN’T put in your garbage disposer:

Anything whole

Large bones

Grease (I can’t stress this enough. It’s so bad for your pipes. Maybe even worse for your pipes than for your arteries.)

Fruit and vegetable skins—they are usually too fibrous or starchy or get tangled in the blades.

Pasta

Rice

Seafood (Why waste such good food anyway?)

Coffee beans

Metal (You’d be surprised how many bottle caps, and the occasional spoon, slip down when you aren’t looking.)

Questionable items for your garbage disposer:

Pieces of lemon/citrus peels (some people do it for a fresh scent, but too much is a bad thing)

Too many coffee grounds are also bad, even if it improves the smell

Additional tip: When using the garbage disposer, run cold water.

How to clean a garbage disposer:

Cleaning a garbage disposer is not hard, and it doesn’t take long. Just use some dish soap while running cold water and the garbage disposal. It’s not a perfect method, but it’s better than not cleaning it at all.

Depending on what’s wrong with your disposal, you might have to call a plumber, and you may have to replace the unit.

If you just have a clog, try a drain cleaner first. If that doesn’t work, you probably put something down the drain that you shouldn’t have. Turn off the breaker switch for your garbage disposer, and carefully reach into the drain to see if you can retrieve anything from the drain. If that still doesn’t work, you may need a professional opinion.

Garbage disposer installation and replacement.

If you feel like you have to have a garbage disposer, you can always replace it or have a plumber do so.

The other method of “repair” is to replace the garbage disposer in favor of PVC pipes. It can be done in two or three hours, and although you won’t have a garbage disposer, you also won’t have a smelly, sludgy collection of grime sitting underneath your sink.

To do this, you’ll need a screwdriver to take out the garbage disposer. You’ll also need varying lengths and shapes of pipe, a p-trap, a file, some plumbers putty, and a sharpie. Luckily, the packaging at the hardware store has pictures so you can match the packs of pipes to what your sink looks like. It’s always good to buy extra, just in case you cut a piece too short.

Conclusion

The bottom line is this: if you have a garbage disposer, you need to take care of it. Just like any other appliance in your home, it has limitations. Don’t put anything in the garbage disposer unless you would put it down the sink.

If you aren’t sure about putting something in the disposer, consider other options. Compost it if you can, and if not, throw it in the trash.

When it comes to repairing a garbage disposer, be prepared to replace the unit entirely or take it out. The repairs are fairly simple, but if you’re unsure about what to do, you can always call a professional.

Set your main menu in Appearance > Menus

How You Should Treat Garbage Disposer

Food Waste Disposer Guides