Garburator Care Tips

The Dos and Don’ts of Garburator Care

In our last blog, we highlighted the importance of preventative plumbing maintenance—how taking the right steps toward caring for your plumbing can extend the life of that plumbing, and keep you from having to make costly repairs in the long haul. Preventative plumbing maintenance is crucial for all of the plumbing elements in your home, but nowhere is it more crucial than it is with your garburator.

Certainly, there are few home maintenance issues more frustrating than a broken garburator, especially when it happens in the middle of a dinner party or a family holiday! Sadly, the potential failings for a garburator are many, and they can include a foul smell coming from down within it; blades that become too dull to do their job; and, of course, clogging and back-ups. The good news is that, by following a few garburator dos and don’ts, homeowners can prevent these mishaps from happening.

Don’t Dispose of the Wrong Things

Of course, the first and most basic element of garburator maintenance and care is to make sure that you’re not putting harmful or hazardous things down inside it—things that can cause clogs or other forms of disrepair. Beware the following:

• Fats, cooking oils, and grease can all congeal and harden inside your plumbing, so ensure that these things are always scraped or poured into the trashcan, never put down the garburator.

• Bones—no matter how tiny—can ruin the blades of your garburator.

• Unpopped popcorn kernels and hard seeds—like apple seeds—are also potential dangers.

• Anything fibrous and stringy can cause trouble in the garburator. Think banana peels.

• Finally, note the importance of always removing your wedding band and other jewelry before using the garburator, just as a precaution. (Indeed, no non-food items should ever go down the garburator.)

Do Make Sure the Garburator Does its Job

Another tip for garburator use is to make sure you’re giving it time to do its job, properly breaking everything down. When you first turn it on to use it, you’ll likely hear a grinding sound. Keep it on long enough for that sound to change to more of a whirling noise, which indicates the garburator has done what it’s supposed to.

Do Remember Garburator Maintenance 101

There are a couple of basic steps you can take to keep the garburator free of clogs and bad blades. One method is to run water down the drain for about 15 seconds after you use it, which allows any remaining food particles to be flushed away. Additionally, running the garburator with a few ice cubes in it can actually help sharpen your blades!

Don’t Let Foul Odors Gets Out of Hand

Nothing’s more off-putting than a bad-smelling disposal. Make sure that, as you start to notice foul aromas, you put some lemon juice and ice cubes, or else vinegar, down the disposal to freshen it up.

The bottom line for garburator owners is that, while these machines do not last forever, they can last a good long while, without needing repairs. Just follow the maintenance tips listed here!