It took me a ridiculously long time to recognize the obvious connection between holidays, dinner parties and emergency calls to the plumber due to hopelessly clogged drains. Why was it always on a holiday, always after hours, always extra expensive and always embarrassing given a houseful of company?

I'll tell you why: Because that's when I would do stupid things like peel 10 pounds of potatoes, cram all of the peels into the garbage disposal and expect them to all magically disappear. Ditto with prepping artichokes. Or I'd throw a couple of whole lemons in there, thinking they would freshen the thing up before company arrives.

I've learned the hard way that there is a proper way to care for and feed a garbage disposal. Learn from my mistakes, so you don't have to make them yourself. Clogged drains are a major inconvenience, and garbage disposal repair can be costly.

DO THESE THINGS

Run your garbage disposal regularly. Frequent use prevents rust and corrosion, makes sure that all parts stay moving and prevents small obstructions from accumulating.

Always run a strong flow of cold water before you turn it on. Cold water will cause any grease or oils that may get into the unit to solidify, so they can be chopped up before reaching the trap.

Grind certain hard materials, such as small chicken bones and fish bones (never beef or pork because they're too large), egg shells and very small fruit pits. Yes! These particles create a scouring action inside the grind chamber that cleans the garbage disposal walls.

Cut large items into smaller pieces. Put them into the garbage disposal a few at a time with the cold water running instead of trying to shove a large amount in all at once.

DON'T DO THESE THINGS

Don't pour grease, oil or fat into your garbage disposal or drain. Grease will slowly accumulate and not only stop the disposal from grinding up food particles but also create drain clogs you do not want to experience.

Don't grind anything that's tough and fibrous, like corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins and artichokes. They can block the drain and tangle and jam the garbage disposal motor.

Don't turn off the motor or the cold water until grinding is finished. When grinding is complete, turn off the garbage disposal first. Let a strong flow of cold water run for at least 15 seconds so it can flush out any remaining particles. Then turn off water.

Don't put large amounts of any kind of food down the garbage disposal all at once. If you must, feed food into the garbage disposal a little at a time with the cold water running. This will help the food scraps flow freely through the drainpipes and plumbing.

Don't put coffee grounds down the garbage disposal, even though they won't harm the garbage disposal and can actually help eliminate odors. The problem is coffee grounds can accumulate in drains and pipes and cause clogs, so it's best to avoid it.

Don't ever — that means never — put anything in the disposal that is not biodegradable food. Your disposal is not a trash can. Don't grind glass, plastic, metal, paper or cigarette butts.

KEEP IT CLEAN

A couple of times a month, clean stubborn odors from your garbage disposal by pouring 3 to 4 tablespoons of Borax (like 20 Mule Team Borax that you'll find in the supermarket laundry aisle) down the drain and let it sit for an hour. Without running the disposal, turn on the hot water to flush it away. Borax is a natural sink cleaner and sanitizer that effectively works on odor-causing mold and mildew that accumulate in garbage disposals.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.