The holidays are upon us and, for many of us, that means BIG family meals…

When it’s working properly, a garbage disposal reduces the amount of waste your family generates and it makes kitchen cleanup faster and easier, but how do you keep it from breaking or backing up when you have a house full of people and it’s working overtime?

Running cold water down the drain for 15 seconds before AND after you run the disposal will help flush the waste into the main sewer and prevent backups, but the most important thing to know is what NOT to put down the garbage disposal.

First of all, NEVER, ever put grease or cooking oils down the garbage disposal (or any drain). Once cooled, pour most of the grease into a container that you can recycle and blot the remaining grease with paper towels before washing the pan in the sink.

Other items to avoid putting down the garbage disposal are:

• Stringy or Fibrous Fruits & Vegetables - Corn husks, banana peels, potato peels, pumpkin guts, asparagus and celery stalks can all wrap around the blades of your disposal.
• Egg Shells & Onion Skins – The thin membrane on the