Were you washing dishes the other day and accidentally dropped that fragile plate that was handed down to you by your grandmother? Glassware breaking is a common household occurrence whether or not you’re washing the dishes. While your sink can take it, your garbage disposal probably can’t. So, if you’re unsure of what to do, just follow these handy tips for getting the broken glass out.
Turn Off the Power
First of all, switch off the power supply to the garbage disposal. There is a switch on or near the disposal itself. However, you also want to play it as safe as possible. In that case, find the circuit breaker that leads to the disposal, and turn it off for now. Just remember to turn it back on once you’re done!
Don’t Use Your Hands
You’ve always heard not to try and pick up shards of glass with your bare hands. This bit of conventional wisdom is just as true for plucking glass out of your garbage disposal as it is for picking up stray pieces from the ground. Luckily, there is an easier solution. Just use a tool such as needle nose pliers to extract the glass. Most of the glass that you’re looking for should be near the top, making it easier to find them.
Try the Vacuum
If you’ve got an industrial strength vacuum, use it! The pliers won’t be able to grab every piece, so you should use the vacuum to gather the remaining bits. Again, this solution is another way to avoid using your hands to nab the glass – even if you put on gloves, you can still cut yourself on a sharp edge.
Move the Blades
Some of the glass may be hiding beneath the blades of the disposal unit. But since there’s no flow of electricity, you should be able to move them by hand and retrieve the last few shards.
Turn on the Power
Once you’re done, all you need to do is turn the power back on and everything should be fine!
Plumbing Maintenance and Repair from Master Plumbing
Give Master Plumbing a call at (301) 650-9100 or contact us online to get more information on how our expert plumbers can help you with your dripping faucet (or just about anything else plumbing related!). We have received Angie’s List Super Service Award recognition for plumbing and drain cleaning every year since 2007, in addition to the Best Plumber award from Best of Bethesda. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured and our service is unparalleled. Give us a call today—you won’t regret it! To see examples of our projects, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.