What You Can & Can’t Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

A garbage disposal offers convenient food waste management for the kitchen in your Nashville home. However, not all scraps and debris can be put down your sink. To protect against serious clogs and damage to your system, homeowners must monitor what they put in their disposal to keep it working efficiently for years to come.

In this article, the professional plumbers at Michael’s Plumbing Service offer expert guidance on what you can and can’t put in your garbage disposal, along with some simple tips and tricks for keeping your system in top-notch condition. 

6 Items To Avoid Putting Down Your Garbage Disposal

To prevent clogs or damage to your garbage disposal, it’s important to monitor what you put down the sink. Homeowners should never put the following down the disposal:

• Eggshells: Ground eggshells have a sand-like consistency that can cause clogs, and their inner membranes can get tangled in the disposal’s shredder ring.
• Plastic utensils: Plastic utensils should always go in the trash. Putting them down your disposal could break your system entirely as it’s not designed to handle hard, non-organic materials.
• Bones: Bones are too hard for your disposal to properly grind and can instead dull blades, cause jams, or break the system.
• Pits or seeds: Like bones, pits and large seeds are too firm and can cause serious damage or jams to your disposal.
• Paper towels or wipes: Paper towels and wipes don’t break down in water and cause blockages in your pipes when they clump together.
• Starchy foods: Starchy foods like rice, pasta, and bread expand when wet and can create sticky clogs in your disposal and drain.

5 Surprising Items That Are Okay To Dispose Of

There are some items that homeowners may be leery of putting down the disposal that are actually safe. This includes:

• Citrus peels: Some people are hesitant to put citrus peels down because you can’t put potato peels down. But thanks to their natural oils, they can help clean blades and provide a fresh smell for your sink.
• Ice cubes: Ice cubes can sharpen your disposal blades by knocking off food particles and buildup. They also clean and dislodge anything stuck on your grinder.
• Small, soft foods: Soft foods like cooked vegetables and fruits will break down easily as long as they are put in gradually and in small amounts.
• Leftover cooked food: Small quantities of food scraps from plates are often easy to grind, but make sure to put large or tough pieces in the trash.
• Pet food: It’s okay to put kibble down your disposal if it’s in small quantities. Remember that food expands with water, so be careful not to overwhelm the system.

How To Care for Your Garbage Disposal

To keep your garbage disposal operating at peak performance, homeowners can do a variety of simple maintenance tasks to protect against clogs and other damage. This includes:

• Running the system regularly
• Lubricating your disposal periodically
• Pouring ice down the drain to sharpen blades
• Cleaning and descaling when needed

Schedule Professional Plumbing Services in Nashville

Looking for comprehensive garbage disposal services in Nashville? Trust the team at Michael’s Plumbing Service for expert replacements and repairs. As your local plumbing professionals, we provide superior care from our team of highly trained plumbers. With unparalleled honesty and integrity, and exceptional customer service, your satisfaction is guaranteed. 

Contact Michael’s Plumbing Service today to schedule garbage disposal services for your Nashville or Springfield home.