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For homeowners and renters around the globe, modern Garbage Disposal has been a source of a great boon. It offers a variety of uses which are extremely beneficial for all. This includes keeping trash bags from filling up, it provides a hygienic method of disposing of food waste and it prevents landfills from overflowing.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Disposals are like workhorses because of their simplicity and solid construction. They keep grinding year after year. However, even this vehicle has limitations. It can choke on certain items. To find out what items must never be put in a Garbage Disposal, keep reading!
Coffee Grounds
Never put coffee grounds in the Garbage Disposal. Keeping coffee grounds in the Garbage Disposal indeed helps in removing weird odours. But by doing this, you’re unknowingly causing serious problems for the drain.
Think about the consistency and texture of coffee grounds when taken out of a filter. They are in the form of a thick paste. Always make sure that it NEVER goes into the lines of the drain. Instead, you can use coffee grounds to keep monsters out of your garden.
Pasta
We all know, when pasta is kept in water it tends to expand. With the same logic, you can understand why you wouldn’t want to discharge loads of pasta into the unit. It will come in contact with water and keep it’ll expand continuously.
It won’t hurt to clear a couple of bits of pasta off from pots into the Garbage Disposal. However, do not try to clean off an entire casserole because you’ll face intense clog issues. Moreover, if you do put the pasta in the Garbage Disposal make sure to turn on cold water for half a minute. Afterwards, flush it in order to get rid of it. If these steps aren’t taken, you will face very difficult clogging problems.
Bones
Grinding up food and disposing of Garbage are tasks the Disposal excels at. However, the ability to grind food doesn’t mean that they’re angle grinders. They are simply not made to deal with bones.
If you end up dropping a bone from a fish in the Disposal then, there is no reason to panic. The Garbage Disposal can handle small bones as they are hardy appliances. However, if you purposely use big bones to grind, then you will face a disaster.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal also expands when soaked in water. We have to deal with the same issue we had with pasta. Uncooked oats tend to slip through the Disposal. They collect in the down-line and then start to expand. They will flow in the sewer if it’s your lucky day. If that doesn’t happen then you’ll have no choice but to upgrade your drain cleaning skills.
Nuts
Before you start to dump a handful of peanuts in the Garbage Disposal, take a minute to think about a few things. For instance, think about the process of making peanut butter. Once large amounts of peanuts are grinded and spun, they turn into a thick paste.
Your Garbage Disposal is another version of a nut grinder (although they do vary in size). Just control the quantity of peanuts (and other types of dry fruits) that might be dropped into the Disposal and everything will be fine. But remember cleaning peanut butter is extremely hard and it will clog the drain badly.
Onion Skins
Discarding onion waste shouldn’t be a huge issue for the Disposal unit. Whether it be cut, diced or in chunks. What lies behind the outermost layer of the onion, the thin membrane is what causes issues. Usually, that thin layer is removed before the onion is cut and thrown into the Disposal.
The result is that the thin layer passes through the unit, not coming in contact with the blades. It ends up getting stuck in the drain. It catches more items and holds them in place.
You can avoid facing extreme problems by simply throwing the thinnest layer in the bin. Also, by cutting that layer before getting rid of it can aid in skipping this problem. Tasks that can be done in a couple of seconds can save you hours of work or even an expensive visit from a plumber.
Egg Shells
There is a common misconception that dropping eggshells in the Garbage Disposal sharpens its blades. It isn’t exactly easy to figure out the logic behind this. However, ask yourself when did you ever sharpen your set of knives or lawnmower with eggshells?
The eggshells themselves don’t cause any damage to the Disposal blades. However, make sure you notice the shell of the egg more closely. There will be a delicate membrane present on the inner side of the shell (Just like the thin membrane that’s present in onions). That sticky membrane can get caught in the area of the impeller or the drain.
Pumpkin and Fibrous Vegetables
Scooping a pumpkin can turn into a major sticky process as the stringy bits get stuck to hands and utensils. Always remember to transfer the pumpkin guts into the trash and NOT into your Garbage Disposal.
The same rule is applicable for vegetables like celery and rhubarb. Don’t worry about small pieces but always throw the long stalks in the Garbage can. This must be done to ensure that no problems arise in the future.
Potato Peels
The thinness of potato peels causes them to easily pass through the Garbage Disposal. Instead, they get caught in the drain. The potato peels act as a small net. It holds up other kinds of waste and creates a clog. This causes the same problem as the egg membrane. However, a couple of pieces of peels are nothing to stress about.
Pits
It is no secret that peaches are absolutely delicious. In fact, peaches and avocados have inspired major schemes of colour for kitchen décor and setup. But they are hard. A good tip is: It won’t go smoothly through the Disposal unit if you can’t cut it easily with a sharp utensil (like a knife). (It might grind once or twice but then you’ll be on your way to the grocery store to buy new Disposal).
The Garbage disposable will not be able to execute its job properly if you keep putting items that are hard in it. Although it won’t destroy the product, it will definitely ruin it. This will lead to you getting frustrated and replacing it. Therefore, you might end up spending more money unnecessarily.
Conclusion
Firstly, try to avoid dropping all of the items (mentioned in this article) into your Garbage Disposal. It only causes unnecessary stress and money. Besides, instead of calling up your local professional plumber, why not just be careful. Educate yourself about what should and should not go into the Disposal. This way you can save money and make the most of your Garbage Disposal at the same time
