Tips for a Healthy Holiday Disposal

Dealing with a clogged disposal is no fun — especially while preparing the most important meals of the year. Follow these easy tips to keep your disposal running during the holidays.

If you have a garbage disposal there’s a good chance it has clogged on you a few times. Some of you may have even had to replace one or two over the course of your home owning experiences. At one point most of us fall into the trap of trying to shove every scrap of food down the thing. Sometimes the disposal is up to the task, other times, not so much. If you’ve ever had to deal with a clogged disposal you know how much fun it is – especially when it happens in the middle of preparing the most important meals of the year. Want to keep yours running free and clear? Follow these easy tips.

Knowing what not to put in your disposal is the easiest way to ensure its long-term health. Avoid putting egg shells, potato peels, coffee grounds, rice, pasta, asparagus, celery, carrot peels or anything else hard, fibrous or gummy in your disposal. Moral of the story: When it doubt, throw it out.

Is your disposal taking a bit longer to do its disposing? If so, its blades probably need sharpening. Run ice cubes and chopped lemons through the disposal to clean the blades and take care of any lingering smells.

Hire a pro to come out and take a look if your disposal is starting to show its age or you’re concerned about its operation. A quick tune up today can save you a headache later.