Oftentimes, it is thought that the disposal is a "beast" than can consume any and all things, but this is not the case. In many apartments, including many of ours, the dishwasher feeds directly into the disposal, so many problems with one may lead to problems with the other. Proper use of both will allow you a usable and sweet smelling kitchen.
DISPOSAL
There are many things that should NEVER go down the garbage disposal. Here is a non-exhaustive beginnings of a list:
-large items - any large pieces of food and non-food items go in the trash
-bones - chicken, beef, pork, or any other bones
-skins/peels - egg shells, onion skins, banana peels, potato peelings
-starches - pasta, rice
-fibrous/stringy things - asparagus, celery
-plastic - bottle caps, spoons, straws,
-metal - coins, silverware
-grease - fat from bacon or cooked meat
-plant parts - this includes chunks of fresh veggie greens, cut stems of flowers
Here is a note from a handyman--
"The worst things, bar none, to put in a garbage disposal? Potato peels. And cooked rice. Both, but especially potato peels turn into glue in your drain, as the starch gets ground up, sitting in your pipes to harden or just cause a blockage if not enough water pushes it all the way to the water treatment plant. A little bit, a little at a time may be fine, but that Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner potato preparation could cause you a large plumber's bill. Beware!!!!!!!!!! ... My general rule of thumb? Put your bones, garbage, debris in the garbage pail, and save the disposal in the sink for the crud that gets washed off the plates doing dishes. Scrape those plates into the trash can. Don't say that you haven't been warned."
Never run the disposal without water, as water will loosen up the foods and properly dispose of the food. Also, run the disposal (with water) after each use of the dishwasher, as the dishwasher runs into the disposal.
DISHWASHER
The Dishwasher is a friend, not a servant. It should not have to clean off all the junk that you have not eaten. Here is a short list (so it is easily memorized) how to use the dishwasher properly.
1. Dump trash from your dishes into the garbage.
2. Rinse off your dishes in the sink to get the food that is too small to be scraped into the trash by hand. Make sure that only the correct foods are going into the disposal (see list above).
3. Place the dishes in the correct places in the dishwasher. Pot and pan go on the bottom along with any glass. Plastics that are not dishwasher safe and woods (like knives with wooden handles) should not be in the dishwasher.
4. Run the dishwasher with ONLY appropriate dishwasher detergent. No laundry detergent, and definitely not hand-washing dish soap or multi-purpose detergent.
For cleaning the dishwasher, completely empty the dishwasher of any dishes. Inspect the blades and jets for any debris that should be removed. Wipe down the edges of the dishwasher with multipurpose cleaner or de-greaser, insuring tight, clean seals. Without any dishes, run a full cycle with just white distilled vinegar.
For your comprehension, we have included this short quiz.
