The garbage disposal in your kitchen can be a great tool for keeping your kitchen clean. In addition, it can reduce the amount of garbage your household produces and contributes to landfills. However, you also have to give your garbage disposal proper maintenance if you don’t want it causing problems. Luckily, we here at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Omaha know how to handle garbage disposals, and we’re willing to share those tips with you.

Here are five tips to help you with garbage disposal maintenance:

Don’t put your hand down there

This should be an obvious tip, but don’t use your hand to try and dislodge anything blocking the garbage disposal’s blades. Even if you get something dislodged, the sudden release of tension in the blades could result in you getting cut. If you have tongs or something similar, you can use those to safely reach down the disposal. Still can’t get it out? Call one of our plumbers!

Biodegradable foods only

Surprisingly, garbage disposals shouldn’t take any type of trash. Generally, the only thing that should go down there is biodegradable food, such as meat. If it’s not biodegradable food, it should stay out of there. However, there are some foods that shouldn’t go down the garbage disposal. 

Personally chop up larger items

While your garbage disposal has sharp blades, they can’t chop everything. If you have larger food-based waste, chop it up into smaller pieces before you put it down the disposal. In addition, put larger items down the disposal one at a time in order to avoid clogs.

Keep the garbage disposal clean

It’s easy to forget about the inside of your garbage disposal, but this part of your system is just as important as the rest. You can clean it by putting a mix of baking soda and vinegar down the pipes. Alternatively, you can put a bit of dish soap down the drain. While doing that, have the garbage disposal run for a minute while the cold water runs.

Run it often and with cold water

Like lots of machines, your garbage disposal can get a bit rusty if it isn’t used often. Running it often prevents rust and corrosion, helps clear potential obstructions, and ensures all the parts are working. In addition, when you use it, run cold water when it’s grinding up any sort of food waste. The cold helps solidify grease and oils that get down there and could otherwise clog up the trap.

Why is Benjamin Franklin Plumbing one of the area’s best plumbing companies?

A trusted plumber should provide dependable solutions and precise workmanship in the midst of a plumbing catastrophe and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Omaha is proud to offer those qualities in our plumbing professionals. Our business standards are based on prompt arrival, personalized attention to the problem, and exceptional customer service. We listen to your problem and develop a personalize estimate with budget-saving choices and then execute a thorough, detailed repair that will meet your approval. We aim to earn your return business with stellar service and a job done right the first time. Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Omaha today for all of your plumbing needs!