The handy garbage disposal (a.k.a. garbage disposer) comes with an important role in the kitchen. Here are three misguided beliefs associated with it:
1.) Myth: You can put any kind of food down a waste disposer.
No, fibrous foods such as potato skins and corn husks can cause problems because the disposer cannot properly break up the food. Never put such food inside a disposal; you will regret it To avoid clogging in your disposal, ALWAYS run the water and try not to overload the disposer with an excessive amount of food to process at the same time.
2.) Myth: You can easily sharpen disposal “blades.”
While ice may assist with removing food in the “blades” and the interior of the unit, there's really no efficient way to sharpen waste disposer blades. Over time, they dull. If you find that your disposal is no longer operating properly, you may need to replace the entire disposal. After 10 years or so, it's best to just switch the disposal.
3.) Myth: Regular use of bleach to clean and deodorize your disposal is a good idea.
Bleach is powerful. Frequent use of this chemical is not advised, as it can certainly erode the disposal.
We frequently begin using these biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning pellets to eliminate disposal odors naturally and it smelling fresh.
However, if you find that you have a major disposal odor problem: While running the disposal and also the faucet, pour in a solution of one gallon of water and one half cup of bleach. This will destroy odor-causing bacteria. It is not advised that you use bleach alone.
Your disposal's splash guard is a bacteria haven. Some disposal models enable you to remove the splash guard and fix it by hand. Let it soak in vinegar or bleach for 20 minutes. Then rinse and return to the disposal. You should do this once per month. Consider replacing it if you have difficulty eliminating odor.
Garbage disposal not working? We'll help.
RepairClinic has free troubleshooting and how-to repair help information for common problems related to garbage disposals such as blades not turning, water leaking yet others. With your model number handy, visit our repair help. RepairClinic has garbage disposal/disposer replacement parts including splash guards, stoppers, gaskets and more.
Additional garbage disposer maintenance tips
Learn the way a garbage disposer/disposal works
How to find your garbage disposal (disposer) model number
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