Appliances

How to Maintain a Garbage Disposal (and What Not to Put In It)

A garbage disposal asks for almost nothing — but a little monthly care keeps it from smelling, jamming, or dying an early death.

Simple monthly care

• Run cold water before, during, and for 15 seconds after every use.
• Monthly: grind a handful of ice cubes to knock buildup off the blades.
• Monthly: drop in a few citrus peels (or ice made from vinegar) to deodorize.
• Never use harsh chemical drain cleaners — they damage the seals.

What never to put down it

• Grease and oil — they solidify and clog the drain downstream.
• Fibrous scraps (celery, corn husks, onion skins) — they wrap the blades.
• Starchy or expanding foods (pasta, rice, potato peels) — they turn to paste.
• Bones, pits, and coffee grounds — grounds build up like sediment.

Clearing a jam yourself

1. 1Turn it off at the wall switch — never put a hand near the disposal.
2. 2Use the hex wrench (it clips under the unit) in the socket on the bottom center; turn back and forth to free the blades.
3. 3Press the small red reset button on the underside.
4. 4Run cold water and flip it back on.

Stay ahead of it

Add your disposal to Upkeepery and it nudges the quick monthly clean — so it stays odor-free and lasts, instead of becoming the smell nobody can find.