Six Tips from Roto-Rooter on Maintaining a Kitchen Garbage Disposal

The kitchen garbage disposal can either be a curse or a blessing. Our Roto-Rooter plumbers are often asked questions about why it won't work and what can be done about it. Following are six commonly asked questions with answers that might help you keep your disposal working well.

WHAT FOODS SHOULD I AVOID PUTTING IN THE DISPOSAL?

There are several things that should never be put in a garbage disposal. These include the following items:

• Eggshells
• Popcorn kernels, nuts, seeds, or other hard items
• Onion skins, celery, or other fibrous foods
• Potato peelings, pasta, rice, and all starchy products
• Little bits of metal, glass, or plastic
• Grease

Why can’t I pour cooking oil down the disposal/drain?

Liquid cooking oil turns into grease when it cools, the same with meat fat. These materials will clump together and accumulate inside the disposal and on interior pipe walls, forming a tough clog inside your drain. Over time, the greasy sludge builds up and begins snagging debris, gradually slowing drainage until the pipe blocks completely. Pour cooking oils into an old coffee can or jar where it can cool and solidify safely. When the can or jar is full, toss it into the trash.

HOW CAN I SHARPEN THE DISPOSAL BLADES?

First off, disposals don’t really have blades. Instead disposals rely on a shredder ring and impellers that shred and pulverize waste. So, you don’t really “sharpen” these disposal parts so much as you clean them of debris that builds up over time and reduces effectiveness. Grinding up ice cubes will clean your disposal parts very well. Fill it completely with ice cubes then pour in a cup of white vinegar and half a cup of baking soda. Next, turn on the disposal until all the ice is gone. Finally, run the faucet down the disposal with hot or cold water to rinse away the grime. Repeat as necessary.

WHAT MAKES MY DISPOSAL SMELL?

Tiny bits of food clinging to disposal walls and the drainpipe will begin to smell over time. The baking soda and vinegar mentioned above should eliminate these odors. You may substitute lemon juice or a peeled lemon in place of the vinegar for similar results. Follow the disposal manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning.

CAN DRAIN CLEANERS HARM THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL?

Toxic drain cleaners are hard on both your pipes and your appliance. If you want to use a drain cleaner, we recommend using an environmentally safe one such as Pipe Shield®, which is specifically formulated to prevent organic materials such as fats, grease, soaps and detergents from building up inside drains and causing.

WILL HOT WATER CLEAN MY DRAIN?

Pouring boiling or very hot water down a drain does help loosen grime and wash it deeper into your drainage system, but do not use boiling water if your sink is made from composite materials, porcelain or natural stone because the extreme temperatures could cause these materials to crack. However, it is perfectly safe to pour boiling hot water into stainless steel or enamel-coated cast iron sinks, but boiling hot water can be hard on rubber parts and some light plastic pipes beneath your sink.