Has your garbage disposal been sounding rougher lately and having trouble grinding food waste? You may be committing some unwitting sins that are dulling the blades over time. From putting fibrous foods like celery down the drain to neglecting regular cleanings, many small mistakes can collectively damage your disposal. This article covers the top issues that cause garbage disposal blades to go dull, along with tips to keep your machine running smoothly. Read on to learn which everyday habits could be sabotaging your disposal and simple steps to correct course.
1. Putting Grease and Oil Down the Disposal
Putting grease and oil down the garbage disposal is a big mistake. This can make the blades dull and clog up your disposal.
What Happens When You Put Grease Down the Drain?
When grease and oil go down the drain, they stick to the shredder ring. The grease hardens and coats the metal. This is bad because it stops the blades from spinning and shredding food scraps.
Hard grease also clogs up the pipes. Food scraps get stuck to the grease and create nasty clogs. Then your sink can’t drain right. Not fun!
The Problems Caused by Grease in the Disposal
Here’s what happens when you put grease down the disposal:
- The garbage disposal blades get dull. They can’t spin and shred as well.
- Clogs happen more often. Food and grease clog the pipes.
- Bad smells start. Grease causes nasty odors in the sink.
Tips to Keep Grease Out of the Disposal
It’s easy to stop this grease problem! Follow these tips:
- Never pour oil or grease down the drain. Throw it away in the trash instead.
- Use cold water when running the disposal. Hot water melts grease, so it sticks more.
- Clean the disposal often with baking soda and vinegar. This breaks up grease build-up.
2. Disposing of Fibrous Foods
Putting fibrous foods like celery down the garbage disposal is not a good idea. The long fibers can jam up your disposal and cause problems.
Why You Should Keep Fibrous Foods Out of the Disposal
Fibrous foods like celery, asparagus, and banana peels have long, stringy fibers. When you put these down the disposal, the fibers can get tangled around the shredder ring.
This causes jams and clogs. The garbage disposal blades can’t spin and shred with fibers stuck in them!
The Issues Fibrous Foods Cause for Disposals
Putting fibrous foods in the disposal leads to:
- Jams and clogs from the long fibers wrapping around the shredder ring
- The motor straining to try and grind the fibrous foods
- Poor shredding power because the garbage disposal blades can’t spin well
Tips for Keeping Fibrous Foods Out of Your Disposal
It’s easy to avoid problems from fibrous foods with these tips:
- Compost celery, asparagus peels, corn husks, and other long-fibered scraps instead of using the disposal.
- Chop fibrous foods into tiny pieces if you must put them down the drain.
- Run plenty of cold water before and after grinding to help flush fibers down.
3. Grinding Hard Items
It’s a bad idea to grind up hard things like bones and shells in your garbage disposal. This can damage the blades and cause problems.
Why Putting Hard Items in the Disposal is Harmful
Hard stuff like eggshells, bones, and fruit pits can really hurt your disposal. When you try to grind them up, it can:
- Chip and dull the shredder ring blades. Hard items wear down the sharp edges.
- Damage the motor. It strains to crush tough things.
- Cause clogs. Bits of shell and bone get stuck in the drainage pipes.
The Consequences of Putting Hard Things Down the Drain
If you keep grinding hard stuff, here’s what will probably happen:
- The garbage disposal blades will become dull. They won’t shred food well anymore.
- The motor may burn out from straining too much. This means an expensive repair or replacement.
- Clogs from bone and shell bits will block the pipes. You’ll need to call a plumber to clear them.
Tips to Avoid Hard Items in Your Disposal
Follow these tips to prevent disposal damage:
- Never put bones, shells, or pits down the drain. Throw them in the trash instead.
- Use a strainer in the sink to catch bits like eggshells before they go down.
- Compost fruit peels and eggshells instead of grinding them.
4. Using Hot Water During Operation
It seems like hot water would help a disposal work better. But it’s actually a mistake to use hot water when running your disposal!
How Hot Water Causes Problems in the Disposal
Hot water melts any grease and fat going down the drain. Further down the pipes, the grease hardens again. This causes nasty clogs.
The heat also makes grease stick to the shredder ring more. This can make the blades dull and less efficient at grinding.
The Issues Caused by Using Hot Water in the Disposal
Here are the problems caused by using hot water in the disposal:
- Clogs happen more often from grease build-up down the pipes.
- The shredder ring gets coated in stuck-on grease, dulling the blades.
- The disposal grinding gets weaker and less effective overall.
Tips to Avoid Hot Water with Your Disposal
Using cold water instead is an easy fix:
- Always run the cold tap when running the disposal. Never use hot water.
- Let cold water flow for a few seconds before and after grinding food.
- Use ice cubes and rock salt to clean the disposal. The cold helps remove grease.
5. Overloading the Disposal
It’s tempting to put a lot of food waste in the disposal all at once. But overloading it actually causes problems!
What Happens When You Overload the Disposal
When you put in too much waste at one time, it overwhelms the disposal. Here’s what goes wrong:
- Food jams happen as too much gets crammed in the shredder ring.
- The motor strains to try and grind a huge amount of food scraps.
- The garbage disposal blades can’t spin and shred fast enough to chew through everything.
The Issues Caused by Overloading Your Disposal
Overloading leads to these disposal problems:
- More jams and clogs from too much waste are crammed inside.
- The motor is working too hard and potentially burning out.
- Weaker grinding power as the garbage disposal blades struggle to keep up.
Tips to Avoid Overloading Your Disposal
Use these tips to stop overloading issues:
- Feed food waste gradually instead of dumping a huge amount.
- Let the disposal run for a few seconds between spoonfuls to clear space.
- Use a stopper in the other sink to let dirty water drain while you add more scraps.
6. Neglecting Regular Maintenance
It’s easy to forget about garbage disposal maintenance until there’s a problem. However, not cleaning it regularly can cause issues.
How Neglecting Maintenance Affects Disposals
When you don’t maintain the disposal, here’s what happens over time:
- Food bits build up and clog the shredder ring.
- Grease and grime coat the blades, making them dull.
- Bad odors start happening from the dirty buildup.
The Consequences of Skipping Regular Cleaning
Neglecting disposal maintenance leads to:
- Reduced grinding power from dull, greasy garbage disposal blades.
- Nasty smells coming from the sink drain.
- More clogs from stuck-on gunk are coating the shredding parts.
Tips for Better Disposal Maintenance
Keep your disposal running smoothly with these easy maintenance tips:
- Clean it monthly with baking soda and vinegar. This breaks up grease.
- Use ice and salt weekly to scrub the shredding ring.
- Always run plenty of cold water before and after using the disposal.
Conclusion
Now you know the common mistakes that can ruin your garbage disposal! Let’s recap what to avoid:
- Don’t put oil, grease, or fat down the drain. This gunks up the blades.
- Keep fibrous foods like celery out of the disposal. The fibers jam the shredder.
- Never grind bones, fruit pits, eggshells, or other hard stuff. It damages the garbage disposal blades.
- Use cold water only when running the disposal. Hot water causes clogs.
- Avoid overloading with too much waste at once. This strains the motor.
- Clean regularly with baking soda, vinegar, and ice. This prevents buildup.
Following these tips will keep your garbage disposal running smoothly for years! It will grind food waste efficiently and not smell bad or clog up.
Does your disposal have any issues? Look back over these common mistakes. Seeing what you may be doing wrong is the first step to fixing it! Avoid these errors and keep your disposal in tip-top shape.