Getting glass stuck in your garbage disposal can be both dangerous and annoying. Whether you broke a glass near the disposal unit or something got stuck by accident, you’ll have to carefully remove the glass to get things up and running again.
To remove glass from a garbage disposal, turn off the power supply, remove the glass with pliers or tweezers, and use a wet-dry vacuum to suck up any smaller pieces left behind. Be careful not to touch the glass directly with your hands, and wear thick rubber gloves for added protection.
As long as you take proper care, you should be able to safely and successfully clean glass from your garbage disposal. Let’s take a closer look at what you need and how to proceed.
How Do You Get Glass Out of Your Garbage Disposal?
With the right tools and patience, removing the glass from your garbage disposal can be an easy and safe process.
Things You’ll Need
In order to successfully and safely clean glass out of your garbage disposal, start by gathering the following supplies:
- Durable rubber gloves (on Amazon)
- Pliers or tongs
- Allen key (on Amazon)
- Flashlight
- Tweezers
- Wet-dry vacuum (on Amazon)
Next, follow these steps to remove the glass from your garbage disposal.
- Switch off the power. You must switch off the power supply before cleaning the garbage disposal. Not doing so could cause an electrical hazard or a switch to your supply.
- Avoid touching the glass. Using your hands to remove the glass from your garbage disposal is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
- Remove the glass with tweezers or pliers. To remove the glass, use tweezers or needle-nose pliers. These will be small enough to get between the metal and pull away the glass.
- Check the bottom of the disposal. Now that you’ve removed the largest pieces of glass, you need to check the bottom of the disposal for any remaining bits that could prevent your blades from turning properly. Use an Allen key to open the bottom.
- Use a wet-dry vacuum. Any small pieces left at the bottom of the garbage disposal can be removed successfully with a wet-dry vacuum. Use maximum suction for maximum effect.
- Restore the power. Now that all of the glass has been removed, you can safely switch the power back on. If the power supply fails, try resetting the unit.
- Grind away any excess. If any small pieces of glass are left in the garbage disposal, these can be safely washed away using cold water. Run the garbage disposal and cold water so the pieces can be rinsed away.
Safety Hazards When Removing Glass From a Garbage Disposal
Firstly, keeping your hands out of your garage disposal system is important because you could injure your fingers. It’s safer to use tongs or needle nose pliers to remove the debris and keep your hands free from damage.
Secondly, if you don’t have the correct tools or hear strange noises coming from your disposal unit, it may be better to seek out professional help. Trying to fix a disposal unit that isn’t working correctly could result in injury or further damage to the unit.
Whether you or someone else is removing glass from a garbage disposal, it’s essential to turn off the power supply. Doing so will maximize safety and reduce the risk of electrocution.
Will Glass Damage a Garbage Disposal?
As long as you carefully and efficiently remove the glass from a garbage disposal when it gets stuck, it should do minimal damage. The sooner you remove the glass, the less damage you’ll do to your garbage disposal.
If you run the disposal while the glass remains in the blades, you risk damaging it. The glass can damage the blades or the plumbing further down. Following the steps above will ensure that glass is safely removed and that your garbage disposal won’t get damaged.
If you notice your garbage disposal has glass stuck further down in the device, make sure to call for expert help. Strange noises should indicate if something is stuck that you can’t see or get to.