Don’t make the common mistake of thinking that the garbage disposal is there for your garbage purposes. In reality, Five Star Plumbing advises that the garbage disposal should only be used in case of emergency. All foods should be placed in your trash. Putting food down the garbage disposal can damage it and clog your plumbing. Here are some foods you should never put down the disposal.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds do not dissolve. Rather, they build up against the inside of your plumbing walls and clog your pipes. Coffee grounds can also build up underneath the disposal blades and inhibit their action. Coffee grounds and their filters should be put in the trash.
Eggshells
There is a myth out there that we are going to bust. Eggshells do not sharpen your disposal blades. The only thing you will accomplish if you put your eggshells down the garbage disposal is damaging the disposal and clogging your plumbing. Toss the eggshells in the trash or use them in your garden.
Grease/Oil/Lard
It’s crucial that you never put any type of grease, oil, or lard down the drain. Wipe out your skillets and fryers and dispose of the oil or fat in a tin can or glass jar once it is cold. Any type of oil or fatty substance is going to stick to your plumbing walls and cause clogs.
Hard Foods
Bones, fruit pits, carrots, seeds, and other hard foods should never be put down the garbage disposal. You can seriously damage the disposal if you try to grind up hard things in it. Something such as grinding up meat bones is not what the garbage disposal is designed to do.
Onion Skins
Onion skins can get tangled in the garbage disposal blades and damage them. They can also stick to the inside of your plumbing pipes. It’s important that you dispose of onion skins in the trash rather than rinse them down the sink. This includes the clear skin underneath the exterior skin.
Pasta/Rice
Pasta, rice, and other expandable foods will clog your plumbing, even if you grind them up in the garbage disposal. In addition, uncooked pasta or rice can damage the disposal. As with the other things on this list, dispose of expandable foods in the garbage can.
Potato Peels
Finally, potato peels can cause the same problems that onion skins can cause. When you peel your potatoes, make sure you do it onto a paper towel that you can dispose of in the trash or directly into the trash. Do not put potato peels down the drain.
Call Five Star Plumbing in San Antonio, TX, today if your garbage disposal is acting up or if you have problems with your household plumbing.
