What Not to Put Down the Garbage Disposal

It’s that time of the year when you are expecting family over and planning to prepare great feasts. In all the hustle and bustle it can be easy to forget about your plumbing and start to use your garbage disposal as a second kitchen bin.

However, throwing some items into the garbage disposal can cause long term, serious damage to the disposal and the plumbing, which can be pricey to fix and irritating to have to worry about during the busy, festive season.

We have made it easy for you to remember what not to throw into the garbage disposal by listing the 5 worst items to throw down the drain instead of the trash can.

Top Terrible Items to Throw Down the Garbage Disposal

1. Fats and Grease From Cooking Meat

Examples: Butter, vegetable oil, meat trimmings and grease.

Over time, liquid fats can dull your garbage disposal blades making them less effective. As the fats solidify, they will coat your drain pipes and eventually form clogs, which can cause nasty drain backups.

2. Animal Bones

Examples: Chicken bones, turkey bones or ribs.

Your garbage disposal blades are strong, but they are not strong enough to cut down animal bones. Bones will also dull the blades, break parts of the disposal or get stuck and require the disposal to be taken apart, cleaned and reassembled.

3. Stringy Foods

Examples: Celery, string cheese, and Brussels sprouts.

Fibrous and stringy foods have the potential to wrap around the base of the garbage disposal, underneath the blades, where they will prevent the blades from turning effectively. This will also cause the garbage disposal motor to wear out as it becomes overworked trying to compensate for the inefficiency of the blades. If the motor burns out, you probably have to look at getting a new disposal.

4. Fruit and Vegetable Seeds and Pits

Examples: Peaches, cherries, avocados

Hard pits and seeds from fruits and vegetables will not be broken down by your disposals but instead will be bounced off of each of the disposal blades, dulling them in the process.

5. Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds tend to stick to wet surfaces and since your disposal and drains are almost always wet, the grounds will stick to the inside of your disposal and eventually create a sludgy blockage in your disposal and drain.

To prevent you from using your hard earned money on replacing the garbage disposal or calling out a plumber, follow this list of what not to throw down the disposal, and you can save your money and spend it on what is really important – you and your family!