You should always be careful with your garbage disposal.
Garbage disposals are incredibly convenient appliances designed to handle a variety of food scraps and keep your kitchen clean. However, they are not invincible (nor are the pipes they feed into). Certain food items can wreak havoc on your disposal and plumbing system, leading to clogs, jams, and costly repairs. To maintain the efficiency of your garbage disposal and avoid unnecessary headaches, it’s crucial to know which items should never be sent down the drain.
Fats, Oils, and Grease
Fats, oils, and grease (FOGs) might seem harmless in their liquid form, but once they cool and solidify, they can create a major blockage in your pipes. These substances can coat the blades and inner workings of your garbage disposal, reducing its efficiency and leading to clogs. Instead, collect grease, oil, and fat in a separate container and dispose of it in the trash.
Fibrous Vegetables
Vegetables like celery, asparagus, and corn husks contain long, fibrous strands that can tangle around the disposal blades. These fibers can cause the motor to jam and may even lead to a complete breakdown of the unit. It’s better to compost these vegetable scraps or dispose of them in your regular trash.
Starchy Foods
Foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes can expand when exposed to water. These starchy items can form a thick paste that clogs both the disposal and your pipes. Even in small amounts, they can gradually accumulate and cause significant blockages. It’s best to discard leftover starches in the trash instead.
Coffee Grounds
While coffee grounds might seem granular and easy to dispose of, they can actually form a sludge-like substance that clogs pipes and slows down your disposal. Additionally, they can combine with grease and other substances to form particularly stubborn clogs. Consider composting coffee grounds or drying them out and throwing them in the trash.
Eggshells
Eggshells are often mistakenly thought to sharpen the blades of a garbage disposal. In reality, the thin membrane inside the shell can wrap around the shredder ring, and the gritty texture can clog pipes. It’s best to discard eggshells in the trash or compost them.
Fruit Pits and Seeds
Hard items like peach pits, avocado seeds, and apple cores are too tough for your disposal to handle. They can damage the blades and the motor, leading to costly repairs. Always throw these items in the trash.
Bones
Just like fruit pits, bones are too hard for the garbage disposal to process. Even small bones from fish or chicken can cause damage to the blades and the disposal unit. Bones should be disposed of in the trash.
Onion Skins
The thin, papery outer layers of onions can slip past the disposal blades and lodge in the drain, causing blockages. They can also wrap around the disposal blades, causing jams. Dispose of onion skins in the trash or compost them.
Nuts and Shells
Nuts and their shells are hard and can easily jam or dull the blades of your garbage disposal. The consistency of nuts, once ground up, can also turn into a sticky paste that clogs pipes. It’s best to dispose of these in the trash.
Non-Food Items
It should go without saying, but non-food items like plastic, paper, metal, or glass should never be put down the garbage disposal. These items can cause severe damage to the unit and pose a risk to your plumbing.
Call Mahon Plumbing Today
If you still have more questions regarding your plumbing, we here at Mahon Plumbing are here to help. We have been serving the wider Baltimore area since 1994, so we have 25 years of experience to back up our fantastic service! Call us at our Baltimore location at 410-766-8566 or our Pasadena location at 410-636-7944. Be sure to keep up with us on social media by following us on Facebook or Twitter.