Tips for a Healthy Holiday Garbage Disposal

Everybody wants a safe, happy holiday season free of complications.  Sometimes it’s the little details that can turn even the jolliest person into a grinch!  With the added food waste during the holiday season, your garbage disposal can be your best friend or that odd, distant relative who inevitable sours even the best party.  Your friends at JTM Plumbing are always available, but follow these tips and tricks to keep holiday drama and costly repairs out of the kitchen!

Dispose This…

Garbage disposals shred biodegradable waste into smaller bits that can more easily flow through the pipes and into the sewer.  Most everyday food scraps, rinds, and peels can go through your disposal without problems.

• Just Add Water: Running cold water in the sink while operating your garbage disposal can help troublesome food particles down the drain.
• Chop It Up: Just because the garbage disposal can handle a particular item doesn’t mean it should go in as is.  Avoid feeding an entire corn cob down the drain!  Chop larger items into chunks.  Gradually disposing of food will avoid clogs.
• Lemony Fresh: Disposing of zesty rinds such as lemons, limes, and oranges can deodorize your garbage disposal the natural way!

…Not That

Garbage disposals are not catch-alls for every food item in your home.  Avoid putting certain items down the drain and you’ll extend the life of this important appliance.

• Bones, Seeds & Pits: These are tough items for even though best garbage disposals.  You’re better off simply throwing them away.
• Coffee Grounds:  These won’t affect your garbage disposal immediately, but dumping them out day-in and day-out with your morning caffeine boost can gradually wear down the blades and clog your drain.
• Fibrous Food: Stringy, slimy fibers - found in the membranes of egg shells, celery, asparagus, and the insides of gourds - don’t break up well in a garbage disposal.  They can wrap around the blade and dry there to cause clogs.
• Grease of Any Kind:  Disposing of grease is a tricky task, but the drain isn’t the best option.  Grease coats the blades of your garbage disposal, increasing bacteria and decreasing effectiveness.
• Starch: Starchy items like potato peels, pasta, or rice can create a paste, clogging your disposal blades

Still having problems?  The friendly staff at JTM Plumbing is happy to help.  Just contact us!