Garbage disposals are found in most American households, often out of sight and out of mind. While they make meal clean-up convenient, it’s easy to neglect their upkeep as they chug away under your sink. Check out the following steps you need to take to keep your garbage disposal running strong!

1. Know what not to put down the disposal

As a rule of thumb, don’t put fibrous, starchy, or hard foods through the blades. This includes things like potato peels, celery, and onion skins. They can’t get chopped up properly, and may cause blockages in your sink or damage to your garbage disposal.

You also want to avoid eggshells. It’s a common myth that eggshells can sharpen disposal blades- this is not true. The membrane found in eggshells can get tangled in the disposal and prevent it from running properly.

Other things to avoid are coffee grounds, grease, oil based paints, and dry foods like oats, which can all turn into paste and cause buildup in the pipes or disposal mechanisms.

2. Keep it cool

When using the disposal, always run cool water, rather than hot. Hot water can cause fats to congeal and clog the blades and interior of your appliance. Cool water, on the other hand, will help carry grease and fats through the pipes.

3. Helpful additions

If you want to go the extra mile for upkeep, run some ice cubes and citrus fruits through your disposal.
Ice cubes will successfully sharpen the blades, and clear out waste stuck on the walls of your appliance!
The acid found in citrus fruits can act as a natural cleansing agent, hinders bacterial growth, and has the added bonus of eliminating odors.