Garburator Care: Dos and Don’ts

Your garburator isn’t going to last forever, but hopefully it will last you a good long time—without needing to give our plumbers a call. Of course, there are some steps you can take to extend the life of your garburator, and also to help it run as smoothly as possible. In this post, we’ll run down some garburator care basics—what to do, and, just as importantly, what not to do.

Garburator Maintenance: Dos

• Run your garburator regularly. If you let it go for months without being used, that can actually cause rust and corrosion.
• Make sure you always run some cold water while you grind waste.
• Grind up a piece of ice or two, if you feel like your garburator blades need to be sharpened.
• Rinse your garburator with white distilled vinegar or basic dish soap. You can also use pieces of lemon to help it smell fresh and clean.

Garburator Maintenance: Don’ts

• Don’t ever put anything down your garburator that is not a biodegradable food item.
• Don’t pour grease or oil down your garburator; what we recommend is having a separate container under your sink where you can pour grease and dispose of it when needed.
• Don’t use your garburator to dispose of hard items, like egg shells, nut shells, avocado pits, etc. Bones, also, should be avoided.
• Don’t use your garburator for foods that expand with water, like rice.
• Don’t use it for stringy things—potato peel, banana peel, celery, etc.
• Don’t add hot water to food as you grind it; hot water can cause the food items down your drain to melt, then congeal to the pipes.

Essentially, don’t use your garburator as a trashcan. It’s really intended for very small food particles and non-greasy liquids, not for you to flush away big pieces of food. Finally, try to avoid cleaning your garburator with harsh chemicals, such as bleach, which can actually dull the blades over time.

Take Care of Your Garburator

With the right care, your garburator should last you a good long while—but if you do need repair or replacement, don’t hesitate to contact our Vancouver plumbing team. We’re happy to come take a look at your garburator, troubleshoot it, and handle the replacement if needed. We invite you to contact our Vancouver plumbing team for your appointment online today.