No modern North American household seems complete without a garbage disposal. Yet, there is no more intense a love-hate relationship between home cook and kitchen appliance, than with the garbage disposal and its owner. There is no quicker way to get rid of unwanted food than to simply flush it down the hungry workings of the garbage disposal. As with many other things, the kitchen's greatest gift can also be its greatest curse.
If you are constantly battling with garbage disposal clog then you need to renew your relationship with her and treat her in a more loving manner. The following tips will help save your “marriage†with your garbage disposal. This article will teach some easy “cures†for the clogged garbage disposal, but as in life, prevention is always the best cure. Be sure to heed the tips on preventing clogged garbage disposal clogs.
Tip 1 - Listen to Your Garbage Disposal
Ignoring odd sounds from your garbage disposal can cost you later. If you hear an odd sound - use a table measuring spoon, set aside for that purpose, to scoop out debris around the edges of the garbage disposal. The chances are, that you will find some hard, sharp or gelatinous items in the disposal. Scoop them out the debris with the table spoon measurer as best you can, then follow tip two.
Tip 2 - Quick Fix for Clearing Clog and Plan B
Put ice cubes, citrus peels, some apple cider vinegar and baking soda down the garbage disposal without water, then turn on garbage disposal. The ice cubes will sharpen the the blades and the citrus/baking soda combination will chemically break down the food.
Tip 3 - Plan B - Cleaning the Trap
If that fails, then Plan B is to disconnect the trap under the sink and clean it out. While the trap is disconnected, it would be a good idea to snake out the pipe leading down to the house drain with a plumber's snake.
Tip 4 - Feed your Egg Shells, Certain Peels and Coffee Grounds to your Garden Instead
Grinding egg shells and coffee grounds can create small particles which clog up your drain. Potato peels can turn into a starchy glue, and banana peels add stringy matter to the mix. The good news is that the garden loves all the above ingredients. You can use the ingredients to make a garden tea.
Crush the egg shells and chop up the bananas. The coffee grounds and potato peels can go into the tea, as is. Boil up the mixture till the water becomes dark, then after it cools - mix with some soil and spread around your plants. This is especially good for protecting plants during the winter. Even a egg shell and/or coffee ground mixture makes a great morning beverage for your garden. (Wait for the water to cool before applying to plants). The garden will pay you back richly for it's daily morning “eggs and coffee.â€
Tip 5 - Find other Uses for Bacon Grease
Bacon grease does clog up drains, but there are many other uses for bacon grease.
Look up recipes on the Internet which call for bacon grease such as clams casino.
Use bacon grease for the rendered fat in a soap recipe (you could even add used aromatic tea leaves to make scented soap).
Contribute the bacon grease to a community biofuel project.
Refrigerated bacon fat can be used for a suet recipe for your backyard birds.
Tip 6 - Flush Well after Using Garbage Disposal
To move food down the drain, past the trap, after grinding - run water for about 30 seconds.
Tip 7 - Keep the Blades Sharp
Keep the garbage disposal blades sharp by occasionally feeding it with ice cubes or crushed ice, then turning the disposal on with no water to grind up the ice.
During the process if you get stuck somewhere, it's best to consult a professional. You may browse through TrustedPros for list of professionals in your area.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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