The holidays are upon us and, for many of us, that means BIG family meals…

When it’s working properly, a garbage disposal reduces the amount of waste your family generates and it makes kitchen cleanup faster and easier, but how do you keep it from breaking or backing up when you have a house full of people and it’s working overtime?

Running cold water down the drain for 15 seconds before AND after you run the disposal will help flush the waste into the main sewer and prevent backups, but the most important thing to know is what NOT to put down the garbage disposal.

First of all, NEVER, ever put grease or cooking oils down the garbage disposal (or any drain). Once cooled, pour most of the grease into a container that you can recycle and blot the remaining grease with paper towels before washing the pan in the sink.

Other items to avoid putting down the garbage disposal are:

• Stringy or Fibrous Fruits & Vegetables - Corn husks, banana peels, potato peels, pumpkin guts, asparagus and celery stalks can all wrap around the blades of your disposal.
• Egg Shells & Onion Skins – The thin membrane on the inside of egg shells and onion skins can also wrap around the garbage disposal blades.
• Pasta, Rice & Oatmeal – These items expand when they come in contact with water and they can create a very stubborn clog.
• Fruit Pits – Keep peach pits, cherry pits, avocado pits, and any other pit out of the garbage disposal.
• Nuts – A few nuts won’t kill your disposal, but handfuls will line your blades with a nut-buttery mess that everything else will stick to.
• Coffee Grounds – Over time, coffee grounds accumulate and clog your drain.
• Bones & Shells – Bones, especially big ones, can cause irreparable damage to your disposal. The same goes for oyster, crab, lobster shells, and the like. Conversely, shrimp shells can catch in the drain so don’t put those down the garbage disposal either.
• Harsh Chemicals or Paint – Don’t put any harsh chemicals that can harm your drains down the disposal and paint can cling to the disposal or pipes.

If you’re looking to sharpen your garbage disposal blades, putting ice down the disposal is a great way.

And, if you’re looking to make everything smell great, put some orange or lemon peels down the drain – lime peels are more fibrous so you should avoid putting those down the drain too.

If you do run into trouble with your disposal, or you have any other plumbing problems, don’t let them ruin your holiday, just Call The Professionals at 941-355-5400.