The garbage disposal is arguably one of the most convenient appliances of the modern household, expediting the unpleasant process of dish cleaning and food waste management by grinding all those unpleasant things that go into the sink into small, manageable pieces that can fit in a far smaller space. Still, like most appliances, they need to be taken care of; so below, we’ve listed just a few of the things you should avoid putting in the garbage disposal – a great many of them could seriously compromise your plumbing.
1) Non-biodegradable stuff
This one might seem like a no-brainer to some, but it’s still a mistake that many folks make. Basically, the only thing that should ever go into your garbage disposal is food waste and biodegradable material. Anything else – wood, metal, even fragile stuff like glass – is likely to either damage the mechanism or get clogged in the plumbing system…or, more likely, both.
2) Pasta
Pasta may seem like delicate stuff at first; but if you’ve ever cooked it, you probably know that it is swells when wet. And when pasta pieces build up in the garbage disposal, slowing becoming wetter, and thus more swollen, over time, it can quickly lead to some stubborn blockages. Pasta is best chucked out before washing the dishes.
3) Coffee grounds
Think about how coffee grounds look after they’ve been put through the filter: thick, damp and sticky, almost like mud. And this “mud” can build up in your garbage and quickly cause serious blockages. It’s best kept out the plumbing system altogether.
4) Eggshells
Another deceptively fragile thing that could turn out to be rather stubborn when applied to your plumbing system. Eggshells tend to have very small, thin membranes that can get stuck in the moving parts of the garbage disposal, compromising its operation when they build up.
5) Stringy veggies
Fibre-heavy vegetables like celery, asparagus, pumpkin and corn might be good for digestion; but they’re terrible for your garbage disposal. Thanks to their stringy texture, when shredded, they’re less likely to go down the system, and more likely to get tied up in the shredder’s mechanisms, jamming it.
6) Grease and oil
Fibre-heavy vegetables like celery, asparagus, pumpkin and corn might be good for digestion; but they’re terrible for your garbage disposal. Thanks to their stringy texture, when shredded, they’re less likely to go down the system, and more likely to get tied up in the shredder’s mechanisms, jamming it.
7) Onions
Fibre-heavy vegetables like celery, asparagus, pumpkin and corn might be good for digestion; but they’re terrible for your garbage disposal. Thanks to their stringy texture, when shredded, they’re less likely to go down the system, and more likely to get tied up in the shredder’s mechanisms, jamming it.
8) Pits
Most of us know that hard, solid things don’t usually agree with garbage disposals; and that very much includes the pits from stone fruits (apricots, plums, and the like). Even the smallest of fruit pits, like those of olives or cherries, are likely to jam the disposal mechanisms and damage them severely.
