Garbage disposals are super handy kitchen gadgets that help keep the space clean. Rather than having to fish out food scraps and leftover crumbs from the sink, you can simply flip a switch and watch it grind down the drain. It makes washing dishes a little more pleasant since you know you don't have to fish out soggy food, but the appliance does have its limits. For example, if you accidentally break a wine glass or drinking cup while washing your dishes, you can't simply shove the shards down the drain and turn on your appliance. Since glass is much stronger than carrot peels and mushy leftovers, it can damage the inner compartments of the machine. Instead, you want to remove the pieces manually.

However, you don't want to reach in with your hands. Instead, to stay safe, you want to use pliers and a vacuum to lower your risk of potential injury. Not only do the pliers protect your hands, but the vacuum will ensure that even the smallest of glass pieces will be cleared from your sink and drain. Here's the best way to clean your garbage disposal.

Glass is one of those items you should never dispose of in your garbage disposal, especially if you don't want to be stuck with a hefty plumber bill. However, to remove the mess safely, you need to use a set of pliers and a vacuum. Avoid putting your hands into the disposal whenever possible, and always ensure it is switched off and unplugged from the electrical outlet before attempting to remove anything from the drain. That way, you'll know it won't accidentally turn on while working on it.

While wearing rubber gloves, remove any large shards from the sink. Then grab a pair of long pliers, and use them to reach into the drain and remove any shards that accidentally slipped in. Once those have been cleared, grab a hose vacuum and use it to remove any finer shards in the sink, around the drain, and at the disposal's opening. This will ensure you won't accidentally knick yourself on a small piece later on. Next, you want to turn the garbage disposal blades to loosen any missing glass, but you don't want to do so by turning the appliance on. Instead, grab an Allan wrench and insert it into the blade socket at the bottom of the disposal under the sink. Wiggle it back and forth a few times to rotate the blades, and see if it dislodges any more shards. Grab the hose one more time to clean the sink in case it does, and you should be done!