What Not to Put Down the Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposal units are wonderful, they make washing dirty dishes and tidying up the kitchen convenient. Beyond that, they are good for the environment.

You may not have realized it, but garbage disposals use very little water, and they reduce the food waste that travels to our nation’s landfills, which produces methane gas.

Once you grind up food in the disposal, the scraps move much easier down the pipes and through the municipal sewer system so they can be effectively treated at the local water plant. Once those food scraps are treated and recycled, they become fertilizer and clean water.

Did you know that the food scraps you put into your unit are about 70% water? That’s right. When you grind it up, you’re returning it to its essence. Lots of folks don’t know that.

Your garbage disposal unit is the only machinery and just like your dishwasher, clothes washing machine, and lawnmower, there’s only so much that it can handle; it’s no equipped to process everything under the sun.

Here is a list of substances you should not put down the garbage disposal:

• Grease – While garbage disposals can handle most liquids, grease is an exception. Just as hydrogenated oils can clog the arteries in your heart, grease can solidify and create drain clogs. You want to avoid putting all oils and fats in the unit.
• Eggshells – If you’ve argued with your spouse about eggshells, we’ll clear this up for you. They are not safe for garbage disposal. The shell’s membrane can wrap around the blades, so don’t put them down the drain.
• Coffee grinds – Sorry, but coffee grinds can get caught in the drain trap. If you have a dog that likes to get into the trash, be extra mindful when disposing of them, otherwise, grinds can end up all over your kitchen floor!
• Pits and seeds – These are just far too solid to put them down the unit.
• Bones – While fish bones are the exception, bones, in general, are not good for garbage disposals. It’s better to toss them in the trash.

If your garbage disposal is jammed or clogged and you can’t get it to work, contact Excalibur Plumbing to arrange for one of our repair specialists to come to the rescue.

Not only can we take care of the problem, but we can also further explain the do’s and don’ts so your unit lasts as long as possible before it needs to be replaced.