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Step 1
Insert food waste loosely into your garbage disposal. Packing it in too tightly may cause the disposal to jam.
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Step 2
Turn the cold water on forcefully when running the garbage disposal. Cold water causes fats to solidify so they can be chopped up by the disposal. Leave the water running for 1 to 2 minutes after shutting the garbage disposal off.
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Step 3
Put only soft foods into the disposal that can easily be chopped by the blades. Avoid putting bones and other hard items into the disposal; they can damage the sides of the disposal and cause nicks in the blades.
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Step 4
Follow the directions in the garbage disposal's owner's manual as to what foods can be put into your disposal. Some garbage disposals cannot handle fibrous foods such as corn husks, celery and asparagus. Putting these items into a disposal that is not designed to handle them can cause damage.
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Step 5
Run the garbage disposal every time that you put food into it to avoid corrosion from the acids that are formed if food waste is allowed to sit in the disposal.
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Step 6
Purchase a garbage disposal screen that goes over the hole in the sink that leads to the disposal (see Resources below). These screens are designed to keep utensils and other items from going into the disposal and causing damage. If you do not have a screen on your disposal, take extra care to keep these items out of the disposal.
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Step 7
Take extra care to keep these items out if you have a continuous feed garbage disposal. Do not put utensils and other small items on the edge of the sink where they can accidentally get knocked in while the disposal is running.
