5 Things That Should Never Go Down Your Kitchen's Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals are one of those nifty appliances that, once you have, you can't live without. We never want to manually remove soggy food scraps from the sink again! However, improper use can lead to clogs, damages, and costly repairs. Understanding what should and shouldn't go down your garbage disposal is crucial for its longevity and your home's plumbing health. Sure, the leftover scraps on your dinner plate can be conveniently whisked away down the drain, but there are some common cooking byproducts that seem harmless but can do serious damage down there.
For instance, you probably know that bacon grease is one of those foods that you should never put down your kitchen sink (or garbage disposal), but did you know that even putting celery down your garbage disposal can be just as harmful? Grease can clog, while fibrous foods like celery can wrap around the blades and jam the whole thing up. Even seemingly innocuous substances like coffee grounds can mess up your drainage system! While the effects may vary, you might be surprised by some of the foods that can wreak havoc on your garbage disposal.
Grease and oils
It's a pretty well-known fact that certain types of grease or cooking oils can be harmful to your plumbing system. Pouring that icky grease down the drain may seem blessedly convenient, but you could be causing yourself major headaches (and costs!) down the line. Bacon grease, butter, and even fatty liquids like heavy cream fall under this category of liquids that can mess with your garbage disposal. As these substances cool, they solidify, adhering to the disposal blades and the inner walls of your pipes. Over time, this buildup restricts water flow and leads to stubborn clogs that are difficult to clear. Even hot water won't solve the problem permanently — the grease just moves further down the line and hardens again.
If you must toss grease down the garbage disposal, consider flushing it with cold water. This will help some of the greasy liquid to solidify, making it easier for the garbage disposal to grind it down before it clogs things up. However, prevention is key. So, instead of dumping it down the drain, collect grease in a container, allow it to solidify, and dispose it in the trash.
Coffee grounds
Your morning brew may be divine, but its grounds are drain demons. It's a common misconception that coffee grounds can freshen up your garbage disposal if you pour them down the sink — they actually pose a risk. Coffee grounds don't break down in the garbage disposal; instead, they accumulate and form a dense, pasty sludge. This buildup can clog pipes and impede proper drainage, causing other food scraps to get trapped in the system and lead to unpleasant odors.
You can toss them in the trash instead of the garbage disposal, but there are actually some great uses for leftover coffee grounds! Compost those grounds to give your garden a nitrogen boost, or use them as a natural deodorizer in the fridge instead.
Bones and hard shells
Your garbage disposal is powerful, but it's not a bone crusher. Accidentally dropping a small bone down there while deboning a fish might not completely destroy the appliance, but it's best to avoid flushing any bones altogether. Chicken and beef bones, and even small seafood shells like shrimp, are far too hard for it to crush up enough. Attempting to grind these items can break the blades, cause clogs, and even damage the motor, leading to costly repairs or replacements.
Hard shells like lobster or crab can be just as destructive. Instead of risking your appliance, dispose of bones and shells in the trash or a municipal compost bin that accepts animal byproducts if available. Treat your disposal with care, and it will last much longer without the risk of mechanical failure.
Eggshells
Obviously, eggshells aren't as tough as bones, but they still pose a risk to your garbage disposal. It's all about that thin membrane lining inside the shell. This sticky layer can cling onto the blades, jamming the motor and reducing efficiency — gross, we know. What's worse, the finely ground shell pieces don't dissolve; they accumulate and contribute to blockages over time.
Good news: Like coffee grounds, you can reuse your eggshells for a positive purpose rather than dumping them down the drain. The best place for eggshells is your compost bin, where they can break down naturally and enrich your soil.
Pasta and rice
Pasta and rice are two more seemingly innocuous foods that can actually screw up your garbage disposal. If you've ever left pasta or rice sitting in liquid too long, you've probably noticed how they get overly soft and mushy and release their starches into the liquid. This will happen inside your drain, too. When exposed to water, these carbs swell and form a sticky paste that clings to the walls of your pipes. Pasta's slippery, stretchy texture can also get tangled around disposal blades (especially long noodles like spaghetti), causing further stops or clogs.
Of course, if you drop a couple of macaroni noodles while draining off the hot water, you're probably not doomed. But don't flush full portions of the stuff. Save yourself the headache by scraping excess pasta and rice into the trash before rinsing your dishes.