5 Things to Know About Garbage Disposals

A garbage disposal is a very useful home appliance, but sometimes they malfunction. At Michael Runk Plumbing and Heating, we’ve worked on lots of garbage disposals and wanted to talk about five things you should know about garbage disposals.

1. You Can Cut Down on Smells

One of the complaints we hear the most often about garbage disposals is that there’s a smell emanating from the drain. You can eliminate these smells by grinding up orange or lemon peels in the disposal.

2. Clean the Disposal With Ice Cubes

Cleaning your garbage disposal is easy. All you have to do is throw some ice cubes down your drain and turn it on. The cold cubes will cause any grease to congeal, which will help your disposal break things up.

3. Dispose of Grease Properly

Grease can collect in your drain, which is why it’s important you dispose of it properly. Throw it away in the trash instead of putting it down the drain, and if you do put it down the drain, be sure to use cold water.

4. Try Clearing the Drain With Salt

If you’ve got a bad clog in your garbage disposal, try pouring about half a cup of salt down while running warm water. This will prevent your pipes from getting caked with grease.

5. Be Weary of What You Put Down the Drain

A garbage disposal isn’t the same as your garbage, so you can’t just put anything down there. In general, you shouldn’t put any fibrous food scraps, pits, or other hard objects down the garbage disposal.

Need Help With Your Garbage Disposal?

No matter what kind of issue you’re having with your garbage disposal, we can help! At Michael Runk Plumbing and Heating, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners in Maryland with their garbage disposals, and we can help you too. Give us a call today to learn more about all of the plumbing services we offer.