Country living is fantastic. Except the part where there is no garbage disposal in the kitchen sink. When we stay in the mountains, I swear that’s the worst part.
Getting every single morsel into the trash can and not letting anything down the drain.
And while I’m so grateful for my disposal, I’m careful what goes down there and I like to keep it fresh.
Even though we’re pretty careful with our disposal, they certainly don’t last forever. We are already on the third one since living in this house.
Here are a few things I do and don’t do to fully appreciate this otherwise unappreciated kitchen appliance!
Dos and Don’ts
Egg shells in very small amounts are okay to go down the disposal. But when I peel a half dozen for deviled eggs, or even one for a snack, I throw the shell in the garbage.
It’s kind of a hassle opening the trash cupboard in the middle of cracking an egg for baking, but yep, those go in the trash too.
Ice cubes are plumber-approved. Ice doesn’t last long around here before it melts, but grinding it up is good for the blades.
Coffee grounds go into the trash or out onto plants in the garden. It’s no problem for a few grounds to go down the drain, but over time, a lot of grounds can cause problems in the drain.
Same with vegetable peelings. The blades cut them up, but the peeling residue can gunk up the plumbing. And taking apart that P-trap and cleaning the pipe is a chore I’d rather not tackle any more than I have to.
However! Citrus peels help freshen the disposal and if you add them one slice at a time, no problem.
Freshen It Up
And speaking of freshening it up, a ½ cup of baking soda followed by a cup of white vinegar is just what any drain needs for freshening.
The best part is the reaction with lots of bubbles. Let that sit for 10-15 minutes and then run hot water to rinse it down.
All kinds of magic right there.
Wrap Up
I will admit I write a lot of terribly unsexy posts on this blog, but at the end of the day, we all want to live in a fresh home with things running smoothly. Right?
So it’s a good time to remember to change those pesky fire alarm batteries (that only go bad at 2 a.m.) and maybe freshen up your garbage disposal.