The Ultimate Guide to Garbage Disposal Care
Your garbage disposal is a great little helper in the kitchen, making cleanup easier and reducing food waste. But even the toughest garbage disposals need proper care. At Aqueduct Plumbing in Eldersburg, MD, our team of master plumbers has seen every kind of disposal disaster—and helped homeowners fix and prevent them. Drawing from years of experience, we’ve compiled this ultimate guide to help you care for and clean your garbage disposal like a pro. So stop peeling that orange over the sink and read on to learn more!
What Not to Put Down Your Garbage Disposal (and Why)
Garbage disposals are durable, but they’re not built to handle everything. Misuse can lead to clogs, damage, and even health hazards. Here’s an expanded list of items to avoid putting down your disposal, along with detailed explanations.
1. Leftovers
Starchy foods like rice, pasta, and bread absorb water and expand, creating a paste-like substance that clogs pipes. Even non-starchy leftovers can leave behind oils, grease, or small particles that contribute to long-term buildup.
2. Potato Peels
These are one of the most common causes of garbage disposal jams. The starch in potato peels turns into a sticky paste when ground up, which can clog your drain or jam the impellers.
3. Fibrous Vegetables
Stringy vegetables like celery, asparagus, or rhubarb can tangle in the blades, slowing them down or stopping them entirely. The fibers can also accumulate in pipes, leading to blockages.
4. Raw or Cooked Meat
Meat scraps not only cause grease buildup but also decompose quickly, producing foul odors. As the meat rots, it creates bacteria that thrive in warm, moist environments like your garbage disposal. These bacteria release sulfur compounds, responsible for the rotten egg smell, and can form biofilms that cling to your pipes.
5. Eggshells
The thin membrane inside eggshells can wrap around the disposal’s impellers, and the crushed shell fragments can settle in pipes, contributing to blockages.
6. Coffee Grounds
Although they seem harmless, coffee grounds accumulate into a dense sludge that clogs pipes over time. This is especially problematic in older plumbing systems.
7. Grease, Oil, and Fat
While liquid when hot, grease solidifies as it cools, creating stubborn clogs that trap other debris. Over time, this can result in a complete blockage that requires professional intervention.
8. Shellfish Waste
Shellfish shells and seafood scraps are too tough for disposals to grind. Decomposing seafood also creates some of the most unpleasant and persistent odors as bacteria multiply in your disposal.
9. Bones and Hard Items
Bones, fruit pits, and hard shells can dull or damage your disposal’s impellers. Even small fragments can get stuck, leading to jams or internal wear.
10. Baking Soda and Vinegar Clumps
While this combination is a popular DIY cleaner you'll find recommended all over the internet, it's actually a bad idea because it can cause baking soda to clump inside your disposal and pipes, exacerbating buildup instead of removing it.
Cleaning Myths Debunked: What NOT to Do
There’s a lot of misinformation about cleaning garbage disposals. Here are some common myths—and why they’re ineffective or harmful.
1. "Lemons Clean Your Disposal"
Grinding lemons might temporarily mask odors, but it doesn’t clean your disposal. The acidic juice can corrode metal parts over time, especially if not rinsed thoroughly. Citrus peels can also cause jams.
2. "Drano Fixes Everything"
Chemical drain cleaners like Drano are too harsh for regular use, especially if you're just using it to clean your garbage disposal. They can corrode your disposal’s metal components and damage rubber seals, leading to leaks or reduced performance.
3. "Ice Cubes Sharpen the Blades"
Garbage disposals don’t have sharp blades—they use impellers to grind food. While ice cubes can help dislodge debris, they don’t clean or sharpen the disposal.
4. "Baking Soda and Vinegar is the Best Cleaner"
This fizzy combo might look impressive, but it doesn’t break down grease or biofilm effectively. Worse, baking soda can clump and contribute to blockages if not rinsed thoroughly.
How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal Like a Pro
For a truly clean and odor-free garbage disposal, professional-grade cleaning products are essential.
Steps to Deep Clean Your Disposal:
- Power Off: Always unplug your garbage disposal or switch off the breaker to avoid accidents.
- Clear Debris: Use tongs or pliers to remove any visible food particles stuck in the disposal.
- Flush with Hot Water: Run hot water down the drain for 1–2 minutes to loosen grease and debris.
- Apply a Cleaner:
- Total C Drain Treatment: Designed specifically to break down grease, organic buildup, and bacteria. Follow the instructions for maximum effectiveness.
- Bio-Clean: A bacterial cleaner that uses natural enzymes to digest organic waste. Ideal for reducing biofilm and odors.
- Scrub the Rubber Splash Guard: Remove the guard (if possible) and clean it with warm, soapy water to eliminate hidden gunk.
- Rinse Thoroughly: Run hot water again to wash away any residue.
Why Total C is the Best Choice For Garbage Disposals and Drains
While Bio-Clean is an excellent option for eco-friendly maintenance, Total C Drain Treatment stands out for its ability to tackle grease and odor-causing bacteria with unparalleled efficiency.
- Grease-Cutting Power: Total C breaks down even the toughest grease deposits, keeping your pipes clear.
- Odor Elimination: Its unique formula neutralizes sulfur compounds, the main culprits behind rotten egg smells.
- Eco-Friendly Formula: Unlike harsh chemical cleaners, Total C is safe for your plumbing system and the environment.
- Convenient and Effective: Easy to use and requires less waiting time compared to enzyme-only solutions.
Count on Aqueduct Plumbing for Expert Garbage Disposal Care
As a master plumber with years of experience serving the Sykesville Eldersburg area of Maryland, we’ve encountered every garbage disposal issue you can imagine. Whether you need a professional repair, expert cleaning, or advice on maintenance, we’re here to help.
We recommend Total C Drain Treatment for maintaining a healthy plumbing system, and as authorized distributors, we’re your trusted source for this industry-leading garbage disposal and drain cleaning product.
Ready to give your garbage disposal the care it deserves? Contact us online today or call us at 443-202-5623 . At Aqueduct Plumbing, we’ll help you keep your kitchen running smoothly—and smelling better than ever.
Avoid the following items to keep your garbage disposal in top condition:
- Leftovers: Especially starchy foods like rice, pasta, and bread, which can clog pipes.
- Potato Peels: They form a sticky paste that jams blades and pipes.
- Fibrous Vegetables: Celery, asparagus, and similar vegetables can tangle in the disposal’s impellers.
- Raw or Cooked Meat: Decomposing meat creates bacteria that lead to foul odors.
- Eggshells: The membrane can wrap around the blades, while shell fragments settle in pipes.
- Coffee Grounds: They clump together into a sludge that blocks drains.
- Grease, Oil, and Fat: These solidify and cause stubborn clogs.
- Seafood Shells and Bones: Too hard for the disposal to grind, they can damage components.
Rotting food particles and grease create a breeding ground for bacteria inside your garbage disposal. These bacteria produce sulfur compounds, which are responsible for the "rotten egg" smell. Proper cleaning with products like Total C Drain Treatment or Bio-Clean eliminates these odors by breaking down grease and organic buildup.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:
- Turn Off the Power: Always unplug the unit or switch off the breaker.
- Remove Debris: Use tongs or pliers to clear visible food particles.
- Flush with Hot Water: Rinse for 1–2 minutes to loosen grease.
- Apply a Cleaner: Use a product like Total C or Bio-Clean to break down buildup and odors.
- Scrub the Splash Guard: Remove and wash it with soapy water.
- Rinse Again: Flush with hot water to clear residue.
No. While lemons can mask odors temporarily, their acidity can corrode metal parts over time. Citrus peels can also cause jams or get stuck in the disposal.
We don’t recommend it. Baking soda can clump together in the disposal or pipes, leading to blockages. While this combination creates fizz, it doesn’t effectively break down grease or bacteria.
Our top recommendation is Total C Drain Treatment, which is highly effective at breaking down grease, organic buildup, and odor-causing bacteria. Another excellent option is Bio-Clean, a natural enzyme-based cleaner that reduces organic waste in your pipes.
No. Chemical cleaners like Drano are too harsh for regular use and can corrode the disposal’s metal components and rubber seals, leading to leaks and damage.
Follow these tips for routine maintenance:
- Use cold water while running the disposal to prevent grease from solidifying.
- Flush the disposal with hot water regularly.
- Clean it monthly with a product like Total C or Bio-Clean.
- Avoid grinding hard, fibrous, or greasy items.
