Garbage Disposal Use and Care

ONLY PUT BIODEGRADABLE FOOD INTO YOUR DISPOSAL.
 

Do not put these items in your disposal:
 

• Liquid fat, grease, oil or fat from meat. These can clog the plumbing. Instead, solidify in empty tin can in refrigerator and dispose of them in the trash.

• Glass, plastic, metal or paper.

• Bones, seeds or coffee grounds.

• Fibrous foods such as corn stalks, asparagus, celery stalks, onion skins or artichokes. The fibers from these materials can tangle around the blades and jam the motor.

• Pasta and rice. They could expand and cause jams.

• Potato peels. The starch could turn into a thick paste and cause the blades to stick.

• Cigarette butts or anything combustible.

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Insert garbage loosely. If you pack in too much at once, the disposal may jam. Large items should be cut into smaller pieces and fed into the disposal one at a time instead of trying to shove in a large piece at once.

 

Use a strong flow of cold water & keep the garbage disposal running at least 30 seconds after noise of grinding has stopped to flush all food particles through the drain line. Do not turn off the water or disposal until grinding is complete. Run the disposal each time you put food waste in it. Frequent use prevents rust and corrosion. It assures all parts stay moving and prevents obstructions from accumulating.
 

Clean your disposal often. A simple way to clean your disposal is to run hot soapy water through it. Run ice cubes or eggshells through the disposal to keep the blades sharp. Odors can be controlled with a sprinkling of baking soda or Borax. Never put chemical drain cleaners in a sink with a garbage disposal. They can damage the parts.
 

Never reach into a disposal to clear a jam, even if the power is turned off. The blades can spring into action when tension is released, causing severe injuries. Many garbage disposals have a manual turn wrench hole on the bottom that allows you to manually turn the flywheel to clear jams.

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