The garbage disposal in your home can be a lot of help. It can grind up your leftovers from your meals and allow you to do your dishes in a faster manner. The garbage disposal needs to be used correctly, though, in order to prevent it from breaking down and needing to be repaired. If your disposal isn't working properly, it may be because of how you have been using it. There are some items that you should not be putting down your sink disposal, such as hard objects like bones or corn cobs. Read on for more information about what should and shouldn't go into your disposal and what you can do if your disposal has stopped working.
Turn Off The Power
Turn the power off to your disposal so you can get a good look inside to see if something has been jammed in the appliance. Once the power is turned off to the disposal, you can open the base of the disposal to get inside, or you can reach in from the sink to remove whatever is jammed in it. Make sure you have absolutely no power going to it. Once you remove the jammed item, the blades could begin moving again if there is still power getting to the appliance.
Sharpen Your Blades
If the appliance isn't working correctly because the blades aren't sharp enough, it can cause the food particles to not be chopped up enough that they get stuck in the appliance. To sharpen your blades, ice cubes with some lemons can help clean off the edges of the blades. The ice cubes can sharpen the blades somewhat, while the lemons can offer a fresher scent, as your disposal can get a foul odor with time. You should sharpen the blades occasionally, such as once per month.
Use It Properly
You need to be sure you are using your disposal properly, so everyone in your household should know what should and shouldn't go into the disposal. Entire pieces of food shouldn't be put into the disposal, nor should hard items, as was mentioned above. You also shouldn't put anything too stringy into the appliance either. Corn husks and celery can be too stringy and get caught in the machine. Non-food items should also never be put into the disposal. Be sure it is used properly to ensure it works correctly time and time again.
If your disposal is not working, you should hire a garbage disposal repair professional to get your disposal working properly.