It’s “Love Your Garbage Disposal Month,” hereby declared by PlumbingGirl!
November and December tend to yield high-frequency Garbage Disposal Abuse. It’s not your fault — you probably didn’t know any better. Your daddy isn’t a plumber like mine is. I’m not here to cast shame, it will be ok. However, in the effort to protect my mechanical friends, the Garbage Disposals of America, I am issuing this Public Service Announcement. (It’s also a PSA to protect you from unnecessary drail cleaning)
At risk of hurting my Disposal friends’ feelings, I need to tell you that disposals aren’t meant to do anything more than handle the scraps left after a dish is cleared into the trashcan.
When peeling potatoes, of any type, (or even yams, if they are different from sweet potatoes as is a regular debate at my house during the holidays), throw the peels into the trash rather than the disposal. Or better yet compost them.
When chopping any vegetables, anything that you aren’t going to cook, throw that into the trashcan rather than the disposal. Or put it aside for composting. Need more info on composting? Try HERE: https://dug.org/compost
When trimming meats, whether skins or fats, or when cooking meats, don’t discard any of the trimmings down the drain. Use the fats for gravies or soups by canning them in either a rinsed aluminum can or glass mason jar. If you are not going to use the grease, consider recycling it through a local program (see this blog for suggestions ), or throw it away. (Usually you will want it in a sealed container so it doesn’t leak through the garbage bag.)
A new garbage disposal, replaced by a professional, can cost a couple hundred dollars. Failing to use it properly can lead to unnecessary drain cleaning Protect your friend, and your wallet, by using the trash can instead.
