Even if you are careful about what you put down your garbage disposal, clogs happen. The hidden blades and bad noises make the thought of unclogging it a bit scary. It’s actually fairly easy to clear up a clog.

First, you’ll need to cut the power to the unit to prevent any accidents. Once the disposal is disabled, you can use an allen wrench to adjust the flywheel inside the disposal. Do this by placing the allen wrench in the hole in the center of the bottom of the unit. Once you’ve done this, you can then use a wooden dowel or pliers to reach into the top of the disposal to remove anything clogging the unit that may be near the top.

After you’ve cleared the obstruction, you can reconnect the power, run hot water through the disposal and turn it on to ensure the clog is gone.