Having spent 30+ years in residential construction, contracting, remodeling, maintenance and home repair, Deane now contributes DIY, informational and financial content as a freelance writer and ...

Many of us take our garbage disposal for granted, but when it stops working, it can shut down most kitchen tasks. We depend on this contraption to help break down a variety of soft food items when ...

Use baking soda, vinegar, hot water, ice, and citrus to clean and deodorize your garbage disposal. Avoid harsh chemicals; use cold water, salt, or a drain snake for tough clogs. Don’t pour grease or ...

It has long been known that eating the wrong foods can adversely affect our health, not to mention our life expectancy. Although many of us take great pains to make sure that we eat right to ensure a ...

Trash cans are kind of gross. You keep a container of food waste and plastic wrappers in the kitchen, and it starts to smell. Garbage disposals are supposed to alleviate the smelly trash problem. They ...

You probably spend almost no time thinking about the disposal in your kitchen sink right up until the garbage disposal is not working. Just as soon as that sink drain backs up, figuring out how to fix ...

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that the chemicals we use to unclog backed-up drains are harmful to our health and the environment. Can you suggest safer alternative products or methods? -Amy Smith, Rome, ...