We had the similar Kenmore free standing model for quite a number of years when we lived out in the country and had no curbside pickup or recycling.  You don't want to put food scraps in there which will just stink. There's not much to know, the dirtiest part is going to be where the ram contacts the garbage inside so you need to wipe that down. There should be a removable plastic liner insert in the drawer which makes it easier to pull out the bag. As well the full plastic bags are better than those plastic lined paper ones we found.  Sears sold both.  As well when you don't use it for food scraps you don't need to bother with the built in aerosol freshener. . There should be a setting for "extra pak" which gives it a bit more oomph to get more in. 

There's very little anymore here in our town that actually has to be trashed. They reduced the number of bags you can curb down to 2 per week, extra's cost $1.50. We barely fill one.  Perhaps 90% of it goes in the blue boxes and thankfully as of this year we don't even  have to separate them into glass/plastic/paper. You can just toss anything in any blue box and they sort it. Once a month a 3rd truck comes around on trash day and they take the big stuff like sofa's, mattresses, junky garden furniture, stoves, washer/dryers etc.   Nothing with a compressor in it though unless it's been tagged that the freon has been properly removed. And also once a month during the summer another truck comes round and takes lawn clipping/leaves. And in the spring/fall it takes bushes, branches etc..but not lawn clippings,, or something like that.. you need a calendar to keep up to it  LOL.