Save Your Garbage Disposal And Try Composting
Here is a great idea. Place a small one or two-gallon bucket with a lid next to your kitchen sink. Whenever you peel fruits or vegetables, put peelings in the bucket and use them to compost. You can dispose of all your coffee grounds in the bucket as well. Compost can be used around trees or in your vegetable garden. The main concern is if the bucket will attract bugs or begin to smell. In both cases, the answer is “no,” as long as it is not left for an extended period. Make sure you empty the bucket every three to four days then rinse it clean. Composting is excellent for the environment and takes the wear and tear off your garbage disposal.
What “NOT” to put down your disposal and some added tips:
- Without question, never put grease down your garbage disposal. Grease will accumulate and hinder the performance of your garbage disposal. It will also build up in your drain over time causing it to clog.
- After rinsing dishes and pans, turn your water too cold before using the disposal because hot water causes grease to liquefy and accumulate, causing drains to clog.
- Never try and grind extremely fibrous material such as onion skins, artichokes, banana peels, celery stocks, or corn husks. The fiber can get tangled and can jam the motor or clog the drain.
- It’s the best practice to keep water running until grinding is complete. Always turn off the disposal first, allowing water to run for about 15 seconds, flushing out any remaining particles.
- As mentioned above, potato is a starch and when ground down will turn into a paste causing a drain to clog and blades to stick.
- It’s always a good idea to put small amounts down the drain along with cold running water. This will help the food scraps flow down freely through the drain pipes.
- Expandable foods such as rice and pasta will expand when they enter your disposal and may cause it to jam or clog.
- Never put animal bones down your drain, which includes beef, pork, or chicken.
- Also, as mentioned above, avoid putting coffee grounds down your garbage disposal. While they won’t cause harm to the disposal itself, they will accumulate in your pipes causing a clog.
Has your garbage disposal seen its final day? Then call for an expert plumbing technician at Big B’s Plumbing. We’re an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating. Don’t forget to check out all our top-notch reviews on Facebook, Yelp!, and Google Business.
