Seven Things to Keep Out of Your Garbage Disposal

garbage disposal clog, prestige plumbing

Garbage disposals are extremely convenient when it comes to just rinsing food scraps down the drain, but you should really be careful what you decide to wash away. You might be asking yourself, "But its called a garbage disposal, can't it handle.. garbage?" Sure it can handle most things, but if you want it to stay in top working order, you should be mindful to avoid plumbing issues. So what should you avoid sending down the disposal?

1. Fruit seeds and pits - Just think, if a knife can't cut them the blades of your disposal can't either. They can lodge and cause the disposal to not work at all, or wear your blades down meaning they'll need replaced sooner than necessary.

2. Coffee grounds - It's hard to not let a few slide down here and there, but avoid washing large amounts of them down. They can pile up in your drains and cause a sludgy mess leading to quite the clog.

3. Potato Peels - Becuase potato peels are made of starch, they break down and form a pasty clog as they lay in your disposal.

4. Pasta, Rice, and Oatmeal - Very low quantities while doing dishes are okay, but you should never dump food waste down the drain when it comes to these guys. They expand when in contact with water meaning they expand and can clog your plumbing.

5. Cooking oil, fat, and grease - We've talked before about how bad grease and oil are for your drains, but it's just as bad for your garbage disposal. These can solidify in your disposal and lead to it needing deep cleaned.

6. Eggshells - There is a lot of debate about this one, but we think it's better to play safe than sorry. The inside membranes of eggshells can wrap around the blades and lead to them not working properly. Eggshells can also be used outdoors as fertilizer if you are looking for a quick way to reuse them.

7. Stringy Vegetables - Veggies like lettuce, celery, asparagus, and even pumpkin have very stringy parts that can wrap themselves up in the blades causing them to malfunction.

If you ever have to question if something is safe to put down your garbage disposal, we recommend just throwing it away the old fashioned way. It might be easy to just grind them up, but repairing a garbage disposal can get pricy and should always be done by a professional. If your garbage disposal needs maintenance, or you have a clogged pipe causing problems, call Prestige Plumbing. You can relax knowing your plumbing is taken care of.

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