Your garbage disposal is a wondrous piece of machinery that makes life much easier when preparing food, cooking and cleaning. However, every garbage disposal has its limits. Surprisingly, many people forget that there are certain items that you should never thrust into the garbage disposal.
Here are 8 things you should never put down your disposal:
- Grease or oil. This clogs up the machinery and can cause damage to your pipes. Plus, it can create a gross environment where all sorts of bacteria can grow, and bugs can breed.
- Corn husks, onion skins, banana peels and artichoke skins. These materials are very fibrous, and those fibers can get caught on the disposal’s blades.
- Potato skins. After peeling your potatoes, throw the unwanted peels into the trash, or compost them. Because of the starch in potatoes, they will tend to form a mush when put into the garbage disposal.
- Animal bones. Again, animal bones are just too heavy for your garbage disposal to handle.
- Coffee grounds. This is a bit of a conundrum, because a small amount of coffee grounds can help reduce drain odors. On the other hand, too many coffee grounds usually end up settling in pipes and causing a mess down the road.
- Uncooked pasta or rice. What happens when pasta and rice meet water? They gradually get bigger, of course! The same thing holds true for any uncooked pasta or rice product you put in the garbage disposal. They can form solid balls of thick, gooey waste that becomes trapped in the pipes.
- Egg shells. Have you heard that egg shells might strengthen and sharpen the blades of your garbage disposal? It’s untrue. The membranes on the eggs can wind up causing headaches… and a need for a plumber!
- Fruit and olive pits. Like bones, pits are too difficult for your disposal to crush.
Note: If you feel that something has gotten into your disposal and needs to be removed, NEVER put your hand inside and feel around. Call an expert plumber immediately to play it safe.
