Don't Let a Clogged Disposal Derail Your Holidays

Did you know that a clogged garbage disposal is one of the most common home repair mishaps to occur during the holidays? We've got a few tips that'll keep your disposal from derailing your holiday festivities.

If you have a garbage disposal there's a good chance it has clogged on you a few times. Some of you may have even had to replace one or two over the course of your home owning experiences. At one point most of us fall into the trap of trying to shove every scrap of food down the thing. Sometimes the disposal is up to the task, other times, not so much. If you've ever had to deal with a clogged disposal you know how much fun it is - especially when it happens in the middle of preparing the most important meals of the year. Want to keep yours running free and clear? Follow these easy tips.

The easiest way to keep your disposal running is by knowing what not to put in it. You might be tempted to toss anything and everything down there, but avoid putting egg shells, potato peels, coffee grounds, rice, pasta, asparagus, celery, carrot peels and anything else hard, fibrous or gummy. Moral of the story: when it doubt, throw it out.

To that point, it goes without saying that you should also avoid overfilling the disposal. No matter how burly it is it can only handle so much. So can your pipes. To ensure that they don't get clogged be sure to run the water before and after you use the disposal.

Is your disposal taking a bit longer to do its disposing? If so, its blades probably need sharpening. A quick way to sharpen them (and take care of any lingering smells) is to run some ice cubes and chopped lemons through the disposal.

Of course, following all those recommendations doesn't guarantee a clog-free disposal. Sometimes things just break. If your disposal is starting to show its age, or you're concerned about its operation, we recommend hiring a pro to come out and take a look at it. A quick tune up today can save you a headache later.