Everyone dreams of having a clean and odorless kitchen… Right?
To keep their kitchen in the best state, people spend hundreds of dollars on cleaning and maintenance of the kitchen. From regular cleaning to installation of certain devices, it takes a lot of effort. Many people install garbage disposal units in their kitchens that help to reduce the odor due to food waste and convert large food particles into smaller ones for easy processing.
A garbage disposal unit is an electronic device that is responsible for removing food waste. This has become a must-have kitchen appliance in our modern homes. This keeps your kitchen free from food waste and bad odor. But to let it perform its functions smoothly, proper cleaning of the garbage disposal unit is required.
Let’s talk more about this kitchen accessory.
What is a Garbage Disposal Unit
A garbage disposal unit is a device that is placed on the underside of the sink. A garbage disposal unit is placed between trap and sink drain.
The basic function of the disposal unit is to collect the food waste from the sink using the strainer and then break it down into smaller pieces. It has a grinding chamber with an impeller plate that presses the food waste against the chamber walls breaking it down into pieces. This food waste then passes through the pipes easily.
Some of the benefits of having a garbage disposal unit in your kitchen are:
- It helps to make the food waste processing easier.
- The garbage disposal unit reduces landfill waste.
- It keeps the food odor away by breaking it down immediately.
- This also protects your kitchen drains where food waste can accumulate.
- It is super convenient to operate and is inexpensive.
Due to all these reasons people invest in garbage disposal units. However, for its proper working, it is important to use it with care and work on its regular maintenance via cleaning. There are some basic dos and don’ts for operating a garbage disposal unit. Knowing about these will help you to take care of your disposal unit in a better way. Let’s know more about these.
Dos and Don’ts of Garbage Disposal Units
If you want your garbage disposal unit to work well, then the following are the dos and don’ts.
Dos of Garbage Disposal Unit
Following are some dos of keeping a garbage disposal unit functional.
Use Cold Water
It is a popular belief that using hot water can be useful for your garbage disposal unit. The use of hot water is thought to melt the grease reducing its chances of clogging. However, using cold water is an even better practice. This is because cold water will make the grease particles solidify better and will be easily removed.
Have Traditional Bins and Trash Cans
Even though garbage disposal units help to process the food waste better traditional bins are essential for a functional kitchen. In the presence of garbage disposal, there is no need to empty baskets and trash cans daily. But make sure you still have traditional bins in your home. This will help you to discard non-food waste in a better way.
Keep it Clean
The garbage disposal unit serves many important purposes. However, to keep it going well and work fine, make sure you are keeping it clean. When a garbage disposal works daily, it accumulates food waste that can clog it or can result in bad odor. So, make sure you are taking proper care of it and taking necessary measures to keep it clean. A weekly cleaning schedule is enough to keep it working well.
Cut Larger Food Particles
Garbage food particles can convert large food particles into smaller particles. The plates are responsible for transforming larger particles so they can be easily processed. However, too large food particles are hard to process by the garbage disposal unit. If there are large food particles present then make sure to cut them into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces are easy to process by the system and don’t add much burden.
Don’ts of Garbage Disposal Unit
Following are some don’ts of keeping a garbage disposal unit functional.
Don’t Add Too Much Disposal
Garbage disposal units have different capacities and work differently. Based on a disposal unit’s capacity make sure you are only adding the bearable load to it. Don’t add too much food waste that is difficult to process for the disposal unit.
Don’t Sharpen Blades
You might feel like your garbage disposal unit is not working very efficiently. This can make you think that you need to sharpen the blades. But this isn’t like a simple knife that will work well if you could just sharpen the blades. Doing this will cause damage to the unit so it is recommended to go for a professional inspection.
Don’t Use Harsh Chemicals
Cleaning garbage disposal units is a common practice and many people use chemicals for the cleaning purpose. However, it is recommended to not use any harsh chemicals for cleaning purposes as they can harm the disposal unit. Always use mild cleaners for cleaning purposes or get it cleaned by a professional.
Don’t Turn it Off Soon
A garbage disposal unit may take a few minutes to process the food waste and you may think that you should turn it off immediately. However, don’t turn it off soon and let the flow for another 15 minutes. This will ensure that no residual particle is staying behind.
Bottom Line
A garbage disposal unit being a must-have kitchen appliance is important. But installing one in your kitchen isn’t enough because if you are not maintaining it properly it may not work well. If you are already following the tips mentioned above then you can expect your garbage disposal unit to function longer and better. Moreover, make sure you are also taking care of its cleaning as it may get clogged. You can use home remedies for its cleaning or can get help from professionals.
