1. Run Cold Water Every Time

Always run cold water before, during, and for about 15 seconds after using your garbage disposal.
• Cold water keeps fats and grease solid, allowing the blades to chop them up.
• Hot water melts grease, causing it to coat your pipes and create stubborn clogs further down the line.
• The post-use rinse ensures all food particles are fully flushed out of the drain pipe.

2. Feed the Disposal Gradually

Avoid shoving a mountain of food scraps down the drain all at once.
• Feed waste into the disposal in small batches while the motor is running.
• Large amounts of food can easily jam the impellers or overwhelm the motor.
• Cutting larger food scraps into smaller pieces first prevents jams.

3. Keep These Foods Out of the Drain

Your garbage disposal is not a trash can. To avoid mechanical failure and severe plumbing blockages, never put the following items down the disposal:
• Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG): These solidify in your pipes and cause major blockages.
• Fibrous Foods: Celery, corn husks, onion skins, and artichokes can wrap around the blades and jam the motor.
• Starchy Foods: Pasta, rice, and potato peels swell up in water and create a thick paste that clogs the drain.
• Hard Objects: Bones, fruit pits, and seafood shells can dull, chip, or break the grinding components.
• Coffee Grounds: They accumulate in the P-trap like wet sand, eventually stopping all water flow.

4. Clean and Deodorize Naturally

If your sink starts to smell, skip the harsh chemical drain cleaners, which can corrode plastic and metal disposal parts. Use these safe alternatives instead:
• Ice and Coarse Salt: Throw a cup of ice cubes and a handful of rock salt down the disposal, then run it with cold water. This scours the sludge off the blades.
• Baking Soda and Vinegar: Pour half a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it fizz for 10 minutes, then flush with hot water (only do this when the disposal is turned off).
• Citrus Peels: Drop a few lemon, lime, or orange peels into the disposal to leave a fresh, clean scent.

Orange peel and ice can help clean and deoderize your garbage disposal