10 things you should never put in your garbage disposal
(Photo from HomeDepot.com)
During the holidays, your garbage disposal gets a real workout. The last thing you need is a disposal malfunction!
Here are 10 things you should never put in your disposal:
1. Large pieces of food. Don’t force anything into the disposal opening. Chop it into smaller chunks and avoid overloading. Let the disposal grind it up, then add more.
2. Grease, cooking oil, gravy. Although they may be in liquid form when you pour them into the disposal, they solidify when they cool. They create a thick film that can gum up the blades, clog the drain pipes and create an unpleasant odor.
3. Rice and pasta. When put into the disposal, starches in these foods turn into a paste that can build up. It can jam up your disposal and is difficult to remove. And rice and pasta can continue to swell every time you turn the water on.
4. Egg shells. The membrane on the inside of the shell can wrap around the blades. And the shells themselves will be ground to a sand-like consistency that can clog pipes over time. To be safe, compost the shells instead.
5. Hard fruit pits (like peach, avocado, mango). The blades can’t grind them up and the motor may burn up in the effort. They will just rattle around in your disposal.
6. Onion skins, banana peels, corn husks, nut shells. They won’t break down easily and may damage the motor or blades.
7. Coffee grounds. They’re small, but they don’t break down and will build up like sediment in your pipes.
8. Fibrous vegetables like celery, asparagus, artichokes, lettuce, kale. The tough fibers can entangle the blades and jam them.
9. Any food you can’t chew with your teeth, like unpopped popcorn kernels and animal bones. If you can’t chew it up, neither can the disposal.
10. Non-food items. Your garbage disposal is not an in-sink trash can!
* Remove glasses and dishes from the sink before you use the disposal.
* Take all silverware out of the sink, too, and make sure a fork or spoon hasn’t fallen into the disposal before your turn it on.
* Be careful about rings, sponges, dish scrubbers and other items that are sitting near the sink and may easily be knocked into the disposal.
* Other non-food items that should never go in the disposal include: flower stems, plant leaves, cigarette butts, paper, fabric, ribbon, plastic, tabs from cans.
If you have an issue with your garbage disposal, or need a new one installed, the experts at Sam Pollard & Son have the knowledge and skills necessary. Call us at 252-752-3661 for your heating, cooling and plumbing needs in eastern North Carolina.
