Your trusty garbage disposal makes food prep and cleaning afterward so much easier. Your disposal helps you reduce waste and get rid of nasty odors from food left in the trash bin. But it’s also vital to be very careful of the things you put down your disposal so that you won’t have to call your local plumbing contractor here in Salt Lake City to fix your clogged drain later on.
Although your garbage disposal can handle most soft foods such as fruit peels, chopped foods, and even ice cubes, it’s best that you place the following things in your compost pile or trash bin instead of down your garbage disposal:
Fat and Grease
Just not. Pouring down fat, grease, or oil down your drain and disposal is like asking for your pipes to get clogged. These substances will slowly build up in your pipes and hinder the ability of your garbage disposal to do its job.
Likewise, when you grind down waste, refrain from utilizing hot water because this will liquefy the accumulated grease and in turn clog your drain. What you can do instead is to place grease or liquid oil in a jar or can, seal it properly, and then throw it in the trash.
Potato Peels
These seemingly harmless things could easily clog your drain because the starch from potatoes would break down and then develop into a paste that would then stick to your disposal’s blades.
Fibrous Foods
Refrain from grinding particularly fibrous items such as corn husks, onion skins, celery, and artichokes as the fibers from these could tangle and consequently clog the motor of your disposal and the drain.
Bones
As durable as your garbage disposal is, it’s merely not built strong enough to effectively break bones into pieces that are small enough to get through your disposal. In fact, bones are among the most common items that clog disposals.
Chemicals
Never flush down chemicals like drain cleaners and bleach down the disposal or drain as these could damage the pipes and blades.
Seeds and Pits
These hard items, including popcorn kernels, peach, cherry, and avocado pits would just rattle around your garbage disposal and lead the shredder to become dull and eventually, less efficient.
Coffee Grounds
Although these might seem harmless for your disposal, in time, these will accumulate and jam your drain line, leading to a clog. Instead of throwing coffee grounds in the trash or down your disposal, you can throw them in your garden as these make excellent fertilizers.
Non-Food Stuff
Basically, never put down anything that won’t break down in the sewer or septic tank. These include paper plastic wrappers, Styrofoam, clips, balloons, rubber bands and the like.
A clogged and malfunctioning garbage disposal could be a massive inconvenience that could make some homeowners feel lost in their own kitchens. So take preventive measures to avoid this hassle by clearing your drain regularly with a mixture of vinegar, baking soda, and water and installing a drain catcher. But if you’re too late, call your trusty local plumber for professional help.