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Garbage Disposer Answers to Common Questions

Garbage Disposer
What can I put into my disposer?
What shouldn't I put into my disposer?
Do I have to run the water while using the disposer?
How long should I let the disposer run?
Do coffee grounds/ice cubes clean a disposer?
My disposer smells. How do I clean it?
How do I un-jam my disposer?
What can I put into my disposer?
Most disposers can handle the following--regardless of whether you have a city sewer or a septic tank:
Soft food particles
Ice cubes, most softer bones, fruit pits, etc.--which help to clean the inside of the disposer
Citrus fruit peel--which freshens drain smells
Coffee grounds
Disposer cleaner, degreaser, or deodorizer
What shouldn't I put into my disposer?
Don't put these in your disposer:
Hot water, while you're grinding food waste (it's fine when the disposer is turned off)
Extremely fibrous material like corn husks, artichokes, celery stalks, onion peels, and so on
Do I have to run the water while using the disposer?
Yes. Run a full stream of cold water through the disposer while it grinds. Then let the water run for another 30 seconds after you turn off the disposer.
How long should I let the disposer run?
Just until the food has been ground up--which is usually less than 30 seconds.
Do coffee grounds/ice cubes clean a disposer?
Perhaps. They won't harm your disposer, though.
My disposer smells. How do I clean it?
Grinding a lemon rind helps reduce odors. You may also want to try one of the disposer cleaners, degreasers, or deodorizers that you can buy at the grocery or hardware store or see our parts section for the ones we offer.
How do I un-jam my disposer?
You may be able to insert an Allen wrench into the bottom of the disposer and "crank" it to help free up a jam. See our complete Troubleshooting Guide for more information.