FINGER ALERT! DO NOT PUT YOUR FINGERS INTO THE DRAIN AREA WHEN MAINTAINING YOUR DISPOSAL. FINGERS ARE IMPORTANT!
Bring on the Ice
At least once a month place two handfuls of ice cubes into your garbage disposal. It won't sound pretty, but it is safe for your disposal and increases its efficiency by loosening grease and debris that have attached to the cutters. Yuck! Avoid using egg shells in place of ice cubes. Egg shells don't dissolve like ice cubes and pieces can jam the blades. (Not to mention, they can also lead to odors.)
Cold Water Works Best
When operating your disposal, using cold water is better than hot. Cold water won’t soften the food scraps as quickly before they pass through the cutting blades. This allows your disposal to shred the scraps more efficiently.
Use Regularly
It is very important to operate your disposal on a regular basis to prevent the blades from rusting and seizing together. Lack of use can lead to repairs or replacement. When visiting my homes, I run the disposals every two weeks to keep them operating properly.
Don't Forget the Orange, Lemon or Lime Peels.
To ward off odors that develop from food and grease accumulating on the blades, drop a few orange, lemon or lime peels into your disposal to keep it smelling fresh. Citrus oils do a fantastic job of naturally refreshing your drain.
So there you go. Keeping your disposal operating properly and smelling fresh is easier than you thought!