May is National Barbecue Month, a time when people across the country fire up their grills to cook up burgers, hot dogs, and all sorts of other tasty treats. While it’s definitely a fun time, it’s also important to remember that your grill isn’t the only appliance you need to worry about during barbecue season. Your garbage disposal is just as important and needs to be taken care of properly in order to avoid any problems.
3 Tips to Protect Your Garbage Disposal
Here are a few tips for keeping your garbage disposal safe and running smoothly during National Barbecue Month.
Be Careful With What You Put Down The Drain
It’s important to remember that not everything that goes on the grill should end up in the garbage disposal. Here are some of the worst foods to toss into your disposal:
- Raw meat - When you’re grilling, make sure to cook the meat all the way through. Raw meat can contain harmful bacteria that can contaminate your disposal and cause food poisoning.
- Greasy foods - Grease can build up in your disposal and cause clogs. It can also be difficult to break down, which can lead to bad smells.
- Stringy vegetables - Foods like celery and onions can get tangled in the blades of your disposal. This can cause damage to the blades and create a messy cleanup.
- Coffee grounds - Coffee grounds can absorb water and expand, which can clog your disposal. They can also be difficult to break down, leading to bad smells.
Remember, when in doubt, throw it out!
Use Cold Water When Running The Disposal
Hot water can actually melt grease and fat, which can then solidify and cause clogs further down the line. Cold water, on the other hand, will help keep fats solidified so that they can be properly disposed of.
Run the Disposal Regularly
Even if you’re careful about what you put down the drain, it’s still a good idea to run the disposal regularly to help keep things moving. Running it once a week should be sufficient, but if you find that your sink is starting to smell, you may need to run it more frequently.
