In this guide
TL;DR: If your dishwasher drains through a working garbage disposal, run the disposal with its normal cold-water procedure before starting the dishwasher. Finish grinding and flushing, then turn the disposal off. A backed-up sink or a disposal that hums without grinding needs attention before either appliance runs.
Why the disposal matters before a dishwasher load
The connection is on the dishwasher's drain route. In a connected installation, used dishwasher water passes through the disposal inlet on its way toward the household drain. Food left in the disposal can affect that drain route; the dishwasher has a separate fresh-water supply.
GE Appliances recommends running the disposal before the dishwasher to clear remaining food and debris. This applies to a connected setup; a kitchen without a disposal has no disposal step to add. Running one also cannot correct a kinked hose or an incorrectly installed drain connection.
Finish the ordinary disposal routine first
Use your disposal's normal operating instructions. For example, InSinkErator's operating guidance starts with cool running water, switches the disposal on before food is added, and calls for a brief water flush after grinding ends and the unit is switched off. Follow your own model's flushing time and stopper requirements. Keep hands and utensils out of the opening throughout.
Once that routine is complete, start the dishwasher. You do not need to leave the disposal motor running through the wash.
When the sink is already backing up
A sink that will not drain or a motor that only hums falls outside this preparation step. Turn the disposal off and stop the water instead of trying repeated starts. Use the model-specific humming-disposal guide for that symptom. A leak or burning smell calls for qualified help.
Water spilling from the fitting beside the faucet needs an air-gap and downstream-path check. Water left across the dishwasher floor belongs in the standing-water guide. Neither situation calls for a cleaner tablet to open the drain.
Where disposal cleaner fits
If operation and drainage are normal but food residue and odor remain, GOHALL garbage disposal cleaner is a separate empty-unit treatment for a compatible disposal. Its directed hot-water treatment must agree with the unit's cleaner and temperature restrictions. The tablet-use guide covers that check and the full foam-rinse sequence. A tablet does not repair a jam or clear a blocked pipe, and this treatment is not required before every dishwasher load.
Questions about running the disposal first
Does running the disposal improve the dishwasher's incoming hot water?
No. The connection discussed here carries wastewater away from the dishwasher. Follow the dishwasher's own incoming-water guidance separately.
What if the dishwasher stopped draining after a new disposal was installed?
Tell the installer when it started. GE identifies an unopened dishwasher inlet plug as one possible installation cause. Running the disposal or adding cleaner cannot substitute for checking that connection. Leave plug removal and plumbing corrections to the appropriate installation procedure.