There are many people who are totally lost without their trusty garbage disposal. These units are really good at keeping the kitchen smelling nice and fresh and of course rid the owner of all that smelly wasted food leftovers. They also help to keep germs to a minimum as well. They are not infallible though, and if they are not maintained they will fail, so here is a guide to keeping your disposal fit and well. So to begin with, dont feed the waste food in the unit too quickly, and run sufficient water while the unit is mashing and processing the waste. Try not to drop foreign objects like cutlery into the unit. Now, any of the above reasons can cause a problem with the disposal. The use of any solvent cleaners is never advised, because of corrosion and health issues also. A Professional plumbing service like Clerkenwell Plumbers who can unclog your disposal and advise on basic maintenance. A good idea is to put a fresh halved lemon in the unit twice a year which will deodorise the unit. You will know by the fresh lemon odour. If the disposal is really blocked you will need to follow this guide: Firstly isolate the power to the disposal unit. Never put a hand into a disposal, even if the power is turned off. A Clerkenwell Plumber can fix all types of domestic appliance. Carry out a visual inspection, looking for any foreign objects caught in the disposal unit. Should you see anything, you can use pliers to remove it. Once you are happy, you can turn the power back on and re-set any cut outs as neccessary so the unit will run. If the unit is still blocked: Isolate, then push a long dowel, or a broom handle in to try and move the blockage. Make sure the impeller is free to spin by using the same handle. The impeller rotates really quick to grind and mash the waste. If the impeller moves freely, turn on and test. Call a professional if all has failed to remedy the unit.