Maintenance tips for your garbage disposer

Your disposer’s splash guard and stopper are bacteria havens. Some disposer models enable you to remove the splash guard and clean it by hand. Soak the splash guard and stopper in vinegar or diluted bleach for 20 minutes. Then rinse and return to the disposal. Consider replacing it if you have difficulty eliminating odor.

Don’t overload the disposer with too much food to process at once. Fibrous foods such as corn husks can cause problems because the disposer cannot properly break them down. Potato peels are dense, heavy, and can easily clog the drain if you try to dispose of too many at once.

While ice cubes may assist with removing food from the “blades” and the interior of the unit, there’s really no efficient way to sharpen garbage disposal blades. Over time, they dull. If you find that your disposal is no longer operating properly, you will need to replace it.

Use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning pellets to eliminate disposal odors naturally and keep it smelling fresh. It’s safe for septic tanks and PVC pipes.

Never put your hands into the garbage disposer.