Thanksgiving is here and other holiday gatherings are on the calendar in the next few weeks. That means its overtime duty for your kitchen, specifically, your garbage disposal.

That trusted appliance is often taken for granted until it fails to crunch all those vegetable peels, leftover dinner scraps and whatever else you happened to toss down the drain.

Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric has some tried and true recommendations to ensure your garbage disposal keeps performing through the holidays. First, understand that these appliances weren’t made to crunch up everything. Avocado pits, bones, and other hard waste should go in the trash.

Flushing your system 10 to 15 seconds before and after you use your disposal can help. There’s a myth that if you run hot water it improves performance. The reality is the water remains hot for a short distance into your plumbing system. We recommend cold water and to never, even the slightest bit, put fats down the drain. They can clog your system if they build up over time.

Always remember to treat your garbage disposal with care. Don’t shove mass amounts of food down the drain at once and don’t put nonfood items such as twist ties, matches, bottle tops or glass in the disposal. Drain strainers can help capture some of these items before you’re ready to turn the action over to your garbage disposal.

Also, did you know that baking soda and an occasional citrus peel can help eliminate odors? It’s true!

These simple steps can help ensure when it comes to crunch time, your disposal is working efficiently.