How to Properly Use Your Garbage Disposal This Holiday Season
The holidays are going to be here before you know it, and many people are already making plans. Some people are known for throwing big dinner parties to celebrate, but even if you just have a small gathering at your place, it’s likely that you’re going to be cooking a lot. Garbage disposals can be convenient to have after you’ve cooked a big meal, but they can get clogged if you’re not careful. A clogged kitchen sink is certainly not something that you want to have during the holidays. Keep reading to learn more.
Things to Avoid
A garbage disposal isn’t the same thing as a trash can. The food that is processed by the disposal goes straight into your drain, where it could potentially lead to a blockage of some sort. Some items are not intended to go down the drain. First and foremost, never put cooking grease, oil, or fat down the drain. These substances can solidify within your pipes and cause major issues that could require the assistance of a professional plumber.
Rice and pasta aren’t great for the drain, either. They may be soft, but they have the potential to expand within your drain since they can easily absorb liquids. Further, potato peels, squash peels, celery, and other fibrous materials can get stuck within the garbage disposal blade or within your drain.
Our Advice
The best thing to do is to avoid treating your garbage disposal like a refuse bin. This holiday season, whether you’re preparing turkey and gravy, stuffing, roasted vegetables, or anything else, use your actual garbage can for most items. Scrape your dishes off before putting them in the sink. If you’re leery of disposing of oil in the trash can, you can pour it into a disposable container and then throw the container away.
The garbage disposal should only be used to grind up small bits of food that remain on your pots, pans, and plates after you’ve scraped them off. It’s more of a backup device. This is true whether you live on a property with its own septic tank or are in a home that’s hooked up to the municipal sewer system.
We also have a few other tips. Operating your disposal frequently can prevent corrosion, and you should make sure you always have the water running when it’s on. In fact, you might leave the water on for about 15 seconds after you’ve turned off the disposal to ensure that everything is processed and flows down the drain.
Reach Out for Help
If you need any assistance with your garbage disposal this holiday season, help is just a phone call away. Contact our team at A Better Plumber if you’re in the Waldorf area and need to schedule an appointment for garbage disposal repair.
