There is much debate surrounding garbage disposals. Questions involve how well they work, how they should be used, and what you should put down your disposal. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind:

Never dispose solid grease down the drain. Liquid fats, including cooking oils and bacon grease can solidify in your drain and crate clogs, so use lots of hot water with them. Instead of disposing solid grease down your drain, it is recommended that you put the grease into aluminum can, like an empty soda can. You can also wait for the grease to harden and scrape it into the garbage.

Some common foods that you should pay close attention to include: poultry skins, potato skins, celery or stringy vegetables or pasta and rice that can cling to pipes and cause clogs. Seeds of any nature should never go down your garbage disposal. This is especially important during Halloween. When carving your Jack O’ Lantern, do not dump your pumpkin seeds and pulp down the garbage disposal. Pumpkin pulp hardens and causes clogs.

Run hot water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposal. This will help to thoroughly wash the debris down your pipes, drastically reducing the chances of a clog.

A good idea is to limit the volume of food you put down your disposal at one time. Let your disposal run for a substantial amount of time, giving it time to thoroughly break up food and dispose of it properly.

The bottom line is, garbage disposals are a really nice home improvement that provide a great level of convenience and make cleaning up in the kitchen much easier. However, the old cliché —patience is a virtue—rings especially true when it comes to garbage disposals. Take the time to avoid the specific listed food items, don’t overwhelm your disposal, and give it time to run.