3 Ways to Avoid a Clog in Your Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are great at making your life a little easier, but just like anything else, they do require a little bit of maintenance. This article will take a closer look at some basic tips for you to consider. Are you interested in learning more? If so, read on. 

Don't Overload It

If you have a dishwasher that's connected to a garbage disposal, then you may think that you can get away with throwing just about anything down the drain, but that may lead to a big clog. Before you start throwing everything that's left over from dinner down your drain, try to put most of it in the garbage can. People think that your garbage disposal can handle all of that food, but it's just not designed to. Instead, it's really designed to help get rid of small amounts of food that you didn't get into the garbage can itself. 

Watch What You Put in It

If there's one rule to putting things in your garbage disposal, it's that you shouldn't put anything stringy in it. For instance, celery sticks, onions, lettuce, and eggshells are a few of the things that you should never put in your garbage disposal. The stringy texture of these foods can get caught on the blades of your disposal, which can cause them to break down. Additionally, stringy textures have a hard time going down the drain, which means that you may run into a clog more easily. 

Clean It

Did you know that you can clean your garbage disposal? Your garbage disposal handles all sorts of foods, beverages, bacteria, and other things that your kids may accidentally throw down there, which means that they can get dirty. As a helpful hint, try to clean out your garbage disposal every few weeks. To do this, start by pouring some baking soda down your drain. Then pour some vinegar into it. The combination of these two things will help you remove any clogs or things that are trapped in your garbage disposal or drain. Once you have done these two things, then you can add some lemon slices and turn on your garbage disposal. The lemon will help you get rid of gross scents without you having to use a chemical cleaner. 

Taking care of your garbage display will help you avoid having to contact a plumber. If, however, you do notice that you have a clog that doesn't respond to these things, then make sure that you contact a plumbing maintenance company right away. A plumbing maintenance company will come out to your house, fix everything, and get your kitchen sink back into running order.