Never run hot water when the garbage disposal is running. Use cold water to move the waste through the drain lines. Fats and grease will get hard when they congeal and will be easier to flush through the system if you use cold water. Hot water can melt the fat and grease and accumulate in the drainline. Also, almost all food matter can be fed into a disposal, however, things like shells, corn husks, and material with a high fiber content are no nos. Also, and I learned this the hard way, never allow glass, plastic or metal to go through the disposal. One time a plate broke in the bottom of my sink and before I knew what was happening I was buying a new garbage disposal and learning how to install it.

Routine maintenance is very easy. Try grinding egg shells or small bones. These will scrape away deposits of pulp and other nastiness. Putting ice in the disposal will clean out deposits and help get rid of smells. You can also do an elementary school science experiment. Who here has made a volcano? Pour some baking soda down the drain. Then slowly pour some white vinegar down the drain. Put the stopper in the sink, on both sides if its a double sink, to close off the drain. It’s like magic. Give it a few minutes to do its work and then pour hot water down the drain. Do this every couple months and it will save you a lot of headaches.