I've had the same issue with those disposal guards—they seem practical until you actually use one. But I'm curious, when you cleaned out the plastic bits from the measuring spoon, did you just fish them out by hand or did you have to take apart the disposal? I've heard some people say it's easier to remove the whole thing, but that sounds like a huge hassle...
"I've heard some people say it's easier to remove the whole thing, but that sounds like a huge hassle..."
Honestly, removing the entire disposal is usually overkill for something small like plastic bits. I've dealt with this plenty of times—just unplug it (or flip the breaker), grab a flashlight, and fish out the pieces with needle-nose pliers or kitchen tongs. Taking apart the whole unit is only necessary if something's seriously jammed or damaged. Save yourself the headache...
Yeah, totally agree that removing the whole thing is usually way more hassle than it's worth. But sometimes those plastic bits can wedge themselves in pretty tight spots. If pliers or tongs don't do the trick, try using an Allen wrench (usually there's a spot underneath the disposal) to manually turn the blades back and forth—this can loosen stubborn pieces. Saved me from wrestling with the "sink monster" more times than I'd like to admit...
I've seen the Allen wrench trick work plenty of times, but honestly, if something plastic gets jammed in there good enough, turning the blades manually might just wedge it deeper. Had a call last month where a homeowner tried that exact thing and ended up making it worse—plastic got so lodged we had to pull the whole disposal anyway. Sometimes biting the bullet and removing it early saves you from a bigger headache down the road...just my two cents.
Had something similar happen last year at one of my rentals. Tenant dropped a plastic measuring spoon down there, tried the Allen wrench thing, and ended up jamming it even tighter. By the time I got there, it was wedged so deep I had to replace the disposal altogether. Makes me wonder if there's a better trick for plastic specifically...maybe needle-nose pliers or something? Curious if anyone's had luck with other methods, because the Allen wrench definitely isn't foolproof.