Many homeowners treat their kitchen garbage disposal as a second garbage can, one that can handle anything you throw at it. However, by doing this, over time, your kitchen garbage disposal can become clogged or even stop working altogether. Knowing what things you shouldn’t put down your kitchen garbage disposal will save you from facing a disaster in the kitchen. Here are the seven things you should not put down your garbage disposal.
- Grease
Putting bacon grease, cooking oils, butter, and other greasy or oily substances down your kitchen garbage disposal might not seem like a big deal in the moment. However, they eventually solidify, coating pipes and creating stubborn clogs that build over time.
Instead of pouring grease and oil down your garbage disposal, wait for it to solidify, then scrape it into the trash can. You can also pour the cooled liquid grease into a different container, such as a metal can or glass jar, seal it, and throw it in the trash.
- Fibrous Vegetables
While some vegetables are generally okay to go down the garbage disposal, many are not. Fibrous vegetables such as corn husks, onion skins, celery, carrots, and potato skins shouldn’t be put down your kitchen garbage disposal. Because of their stringy nature, they can wrap around the blade, jam the motor, leave drain blockages, and even cause unpleasant odors in your kitchen.
To avoid fibrous vegetables clogging your kitchen garbage disposal, discard them in the trash, add them to your compost pile, or freeze them for other purposes, such as making stock.
- Starchy Foods
Starchy foods, such as pasta, oatmeal, and rice, expand as they get cooked. The same thing happens when they get put down your kitchen garbage disposal. They turn into a thick paste that coats your pipes and creates blockages over time. Save yourself from a future headache and scrape your leftover pasta, rice, and oatmeal into the trash can.
- Liquid Doughs
Though pouring leftover pancake and waffle batter, or sourdough starter, seems harmless, it can actually cause more damage than people think. These liquid doughs act like wet cement. They catch other things that flow through the pipes, hardening into a mass of gunk that blocks water from flowing through your pipes. It may not cause an immediate problem, but it will set your pipes up for a major clog in the future.
Instead of pouring these liquid batters and doughs into your kitchen garbage disposal, dump them in your trash can. In the case of sourdough starter, it’s a natural substance, so it can be composted as well.
- Egg Shells
A common misconception among homeowners is that eggshells are a beneficial thing to put down your kitchen garbage disposal because they sharpen the disposal blades. However, this isn’t true. Inside egg shells, there is a thin membrane that, when thrown down the kitchen garbage disposal, wraps around the blade and can cause strain to the motor or make it stop completely.
Rather than putting your eggshells down the kitchen disposal, do your pipes a favor and compost your eggshells or throw them in the trash.
- Fruit Pits
A basic rule of thumb is, if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it down the kitchen garbage disposal. Though not true in every case, it’s certainly true in the case of fruit pits. After eating cherries, a peach, or cutting up an avocado, do not put the pits into your kitchen garbage disposal. They won’t be able to break down, damaging your disposal and making the blades blunt. You wouldn’t eat a fruit pit, so don’t let your kitchen garbage disposal eat one either.
- Non-Biodegradable Items
A kitchen garbage disposal was made for grinding down food waste, not for throwing away non-biodegradable items. Even if it may seem small, like produce stickers, twist ties, or plastic wrappers, your kitchen garbage disposal was not meant to handle those items. Your kitchen garbage disposal is not a catch-all for kitchen garbage, so don’t let it be. Make sure those items make it into the trash can, instead of your disposal.
How Drain X Can Help You With Clogged Kitchen Garbage Disposals
At Drain X, we understand that things happen! Some of these things might make it down your kitchen garbage disposal one way or another. If they do, and problems arise, we’re here to help. From minor clogs to major fixes, our team of experienced plumbing professionals is fully equipped to handle all of your drain cleaning needs. Contact us to schedule your appointment today!
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