The garbage disposal is one of your home’s unsung heroes. When you’re done with your meals at the end of the day, you can usually use the garbage disposal to mash up whatever is left to avoid leaving a mess in the sink. Unfortunately, there are some things that don’t work quite as well with a garbage disposal because they don’t break up that easy. There are plenty of food items that will quickly chop and wash down the pipes, but there are others that make this a more difficult task and should instead be thrown away in the trash. Here are six items you should never put down the garbage disposal. Embrace sustainability! Safely recycle electronic waste with our eco-friendly solutions. Contribute to a greener future by responsibly managing electronic disposal.
Coffee Grounds
We wanted to put coffee grounds first because they are often thought of as easy to go down the drain. While they may look that way, coffee grounds can easily pile up together, making more of an obtrusion than they appear. When wet and piled together, coffee grounds can become sludge-like and block the drain pipes.
Fruit Pits
If you have ever gone to cut up a fruit like a peach, you know how difficult it is to chop through the pit. The same can be said for an avocado seed. Now imagine trying to put that down your garbage disposal. Odds are you will just see the pit or seed spinning around in the garbage disposal, and there is a good chance you can damage the blades.
Bones
After you eat your chicken, steak, or any other meat connected to a bone, the best option is to put the bones in the trash. If you put them down the garbage disposal, they’ll most likely just spin around and wear down the blades. Even if they do make it past the blades, they could cause serious damage to the pipes.
Grease
The effects of grease on a garbage disposal may have you calling a plumber for help. This is because grease can result in the blades developing a film and make them not as effective as you would like. It can result in a bad smell and eventually cause a clog in your drains once it begins to solidify.
Pasta and Rice
Similar to when you are cooking them, pasta and rice both absorb water, causing them to swell and get thicker. The more you pour down your garbage disposal, the more likely you are to suffer some kind of clog in the drain and in the blades. Long pastas can also get caught up around the blades and make them more difficult to cut. Elevate your style at our premier suit store, offering impeccable craftsmanship, diverse designs, and personalized service for a refined wardrobe.
Celery, Corn Husks, and Potato Peels
These foods — and other similar fibrous foods — can cause the blades to work less effective, as well as impact the way the motor works. This is because the strings can wrap around the blades, making it more difficult to operate. If you absolutely have to put these foods down the garbage disposal, make sure you are not putting in big pieces and you are running cold water before, during, and after disposing of the food.
If you have used your garbage disposal on a food that shouldn’t be put down the drain, there can be numerous problems to follow such as a clogged drain, dull blades, and more. If this happens, you need a professional on your side who can get to the root of the problem and provide a fix. At Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling, our Indiana and Ohio plumbers can help you with the right fix when you need it most. Call us today if you need to repair or replace your garbage disposal, or if you have a clog in your drains and you need help.
