Never Put These 5 Things Down Your Garbage Disposal
While you may think that your garbage disposal is a machine that will be able to grind everything, there are certain food wastes that you must never throw into it. This article lists down some of the things that you should never put into your garbage disposal if you don’t want to experience any inconvenience or trouble with your plumbing system.
Coffee Grounds
One of the primary food scraps that should never go down your garbage disposal is coffee grounds. If you do, then you will most likely need the services of a 24 hour plumber, particularly if the trouble occurs in the wee hours of the evening or during the weekends. The reason behind this is that coffee grounds are dense and when wet, they can have a paste-like consistency, ending up like gunk in the sediment trap.
Animal Bones
Another food waste that should never go down your disposal is animal bones because your disposal won’t be able to grind them accordingly. Animal bones are so hard that they can even end up damaging your disposal over time.
Seeds, Nuts, and Shells
Seeds, nuts, and shells should also never make it down your garbage disposal. Like animal bones, these grains can also be sometimes so hard, making your disposal work twice as much. In this case, as a general rule, anything that can’t be cut by your knife should never go into your garbage disposal.
Eggshells
Eggshells likewise should never go into your garbage disposal albeit it is a popular misconception that they can sharpen their blades. The truth is that your disposal doesn’t have blades. Rather, they are equipped with impellers that are blunt. These act as grinders and not choppers. In addition to this, eggshells may sometimes have membranes that have the potential of getting caught.
Starchy Vegetables
Finally, make sure that you don’t put any starchy vegetables down your garbage disposal, especially those which have fibrous strands because these can get tangled in the grinder of the disposal. Over time, the starch in the vegetables can also turn into a paste which can cause clogs.
The Bottomline
The food wastes listed above are only some of the things that should never go down your garbage disposal. Other things that should never make it to your garbage disposal include onions as well as grease, oil, and fat. Keep in mind that your disposal is not like garbage where you can dump even non-food items. Else, you will most likely cause a clog in your plumbing system.
Lynn Place is Vice President of Marketing for SolvChem Custom Packaging Division. She has 30 years of professional experience in the manufacturing industry and specializes in consumer packaged goods, new product development and strategic planning.
