Plumbers 911 | Plumbing Contractor Referral Service | Plumbing Appliances | Garbage Disposal Maintenance
07 Mar

How Do I Maintain My Garbage Disposal?

Many people don’t realize that garbage disposals require maintenance to keep them in good working order. Garbage disposals require regular cleaning to avoid clogs and unpleasant odors because food can easily build up in certain areas inside the disposal. Without regular cleaning, you have a high chance of experiencing a clog or slow drain at some point. If you have questions about how to properly clean and maintain your garbage disposal, give the expert plumbers at Plumbers911 a call! Plumbers911 has experienced plumbers throughout the Central Valley – Click Here to locate the Plumbers911 plumber nearest you!

Helpful Tips for Maintaining Your Garbage Disposal

Avoid Damaging the Garbage Disposal

In order to keep your garbage disposal in good working order, avoid putting hard and/or fibrous foods down the sink. Hard seeds, popcorn kernels, peach stones, apple seeds and bones are a few items that disposals usually cannot process. The smaller pieces can get wedged underneath the blades causing them to jam. Fibrous foods should also be avoided because the fibers can wrap themselves around the blades and cause them to jam. 

Here are some items to avoid putting down your garbage disposal:

  • Onion skins
  • Egg shells
  • Celery stalks
  • Corn husks, etc

When in doubt, remember: “It’s better safe than sorry.” It’s better to put questionable items in the garbage bin, rather than risking damage to your garbage disposal.

Plumbers 911 | Plumbing Contractor Referral Service | Plumbing Appliances | Garbage Disposal Maintenance

Cleaning the Garbage Disposal

By cleaning your garbage disposal regularly, you can keep it working well, and minimize any unpleasant odors. Disposals can be effectively cleaned with three common household items. 

Here’s what you’ll need to clean your disposal:

  • 1 cup of ice
  • 1 peeled lemon (halved)
  • 1 cup of liquid dish soap
  • Tongs

Using these items, follow these instructions to clean your your garbage disposal:

  1. Using tongs, place your lemon halves in the garbage disposal
  2. Add ice cubes
  3. Turn on the disposal
  4. Pour in the cup of liquid dish soap
  5. Run cold water for 30 seconds
  6. Turn off the disposal

Maintaining Your Garbage Disposal

You can prevent most issues with your garbage disposal by avoiding putting hard and fibrous food waste down into your garbage disposal, and cleaning it regularly. Issues can occur, however, even with proper maintenance – if they do, call the local plumbing experts at Plumbers911! Plumbers911 is a referral service of licensed, experienced professional plumbers located throughout Central California. With Plumbers in Fresno, Modesto, Clovis, Tracy, and more, Plumbers911 has a plumber near you. Call one of our Fresno, California, Modesto, California, or Stockton, California plumbers today, or visit our location page to find a plumber in your town!

To all our friends and customers regarding COVID-19

We will get through this together To say we are living in “unprecedented” challenging times would be an understatement. We hope this finds you and your family safe and healthy. We would like to list a few pieces of information and websites that we think will be helpful for you during this time.

  • To get the most current information on the COVID-19 virus, please check the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website at: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html
  • icon showing hand under faucet with large water droplets falling on hand Please wash your hands frequently. Washing with soap and water for twenty seconds is the preferred method, however when water is not available, please use an alcohol based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
  • icon of person covering mouth while coughing and a border separating from displeased person close by Practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from another person.
  • For those of you with children that are looking for something fun to do, there are virtual field trips you can take with your kids that are fun and educational. Here is a link: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner

Plumbers are considered essential workers during this time and we will continue to work as our number one priority is to “protect the health of the nation.” Stay well, stay safe and we will get through this together.

Your Friends at Plumbers 911

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