The end of the year provides a significant holiday season, with many family traditions beginning in the kitchen. Between cleaning your home, buying presents, and preparing for holiday meals, the last thing you need is a malfunctioning garbage disposal to put a stink on your plans.
3 Tips for Keeping Your Kitchen & Garbage Disposal Running Smoothly
During holiday meal prep, your kitchen will get a lot more attention. At Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air, we’re passionate about preventative maintenance so that you can keep your home in top shape, avoid breakdowns, save costs, and maintain peace of mind. Our expert plumbing service professionals have compiled these tips to help you make sure that your garbage disposal doesn’t disrupt your holiday season!
1. Avoid Certain Foods
The biggest reason for damage to garbage disposals comes from what gets put into them. One of the biggest secret culprits of clogs is fats or oils. Fats and oils collect together more easily. They will not only block the drain, but they will also give off an awful stench!
Here’s a list of the top “don’ts” for garbage disposals:
- Potato Skins
- Banana Peels
- Fats/Oils
- Carrots
- Celery
- Coffee Beans
- Egg Shells
- Nuts
- Bones
When you place these items down your disposal, you increase sediment buildup and heighten the risk for a clogged sink. Instead of putting these food items in the sink, throw them away. This method will help you alleviate odor and clogs while maintaining the integrity of your garbage disposal.
2. Clean the Garbage Disposal
Before and after you’ve used your garbage disposal for this holiday season, we recommend taking time to clean it thoroughly. A great DIY way to clean is with baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle in baking soda, then pour in a cup of white vinegar. After sitting for 10 minutes, turn on the garbage disposal and use hot water to rinse. If you notice a foul smell, you can also use chopped lemons or oranges. Just make sure you finely chop the citrus before sending it down the disposal!
3. Check if the Garbage Disposal Needs Replacing
Unfortunately, if you haven’t done any maintenance to your garbage disposal recently, can’t get rid of the smell, or the drain clogs often, it might be time to replace it. While a garbage disposal standard life expectancy is around ten years, this term can be affected by a lack of maintenance, cleaning, and care. If you’re unsure whether it needs to be repaired or replaced, our Dixie plumbing service professionals can gladly provide a consultation. We will help you make the best decision for your home!
Call Dixie, and it’s done!
To schedule a service with Dixie, call for 334.232.0236 Montgomery or 334.835.5161 for Auburn. You can also schedule an appointment online
