Under a kitchen sink, there is electronic equipment called a garbage disposal. Food waste is ground into pieces small enough to be removed by the plumbing system using blades. Given that food is disposed of in the water system rather than a landfill, it is a quick, easy, and environmentally beneficial way to get rid of kitchen waste.
While many items can be put down garbage disposal without any issues, such as fruit, vegetables, prepared foods, and even ice, other items can harm the blades or clog your pipes. It’s vital to know how to operate one correctly because having this repaired can be expensive. Keep these things away from the drain to prolong the life of your garbage disposal.
Read also: Surprising Things You Can Clean With Olive Oil
Things You Should Never Put In Your Garbage Disposal
Coffee Grounds
You may have heard a myth suggesting coffee grinds might prevent odors and be beneficial for your plumbing system. As they can clog your pipes and turn into a sludgy mess, they’re actually among the worst things you can dispose of. The easiest way to get rid of coffee grounds is to compost them so that their nutrients can be used.
Potato Peels
Plumbing blockages can be caused by the gluey, sticky mess that potato peels can leave behind. The peels become wet and turn into a sticky liquid after they go through the garbage disposal’s blades and into the pipes. At first, small amounts might not cause any harm, but greater amounts and ongoing use might lead to problems.
Fibrous Vegetables
Produce is generally safe to throw away, but some fibrous vegetables, like kale, asparagus, rhubarb, celery, and pumpkin insides, might tangle up in the blades and break them.
Additionally, before you throw your fruit and vegetable peels in the garbage, remember to remove the stickers. These may cling to pipes or blades and obstruct them as well. Composting or using an organic waste container is the most environmentally friendly way to get rid of vegetable and potato peels.
Starchy Foods
Oats, pasta, rice, beans, and other starchy foods swell when they absorb water. This swelling can lead to obstructions and improper sink drainage when food gets stuck in the kitchen pipes or garbage disposal blades. At some point, a plumber might be needed for repairs. The starchy, sticky substance may also coat the disposal’s blades, reducing their efficiency or perhaps leading to a malfunction. Throw these things in the trash.
Fats and Grease
Oils, butter, chicken skin, and bacon grease can easily slide down your disposal, but they solidify and lodge in your pipes. Their buildup may result in serious plumbing problems like backups or leaks, which may be expensive and time-consuming to resolve. The best way to get rid of them is to put them in the trash in jars or cans, or even better, identify a local facility that recycles fats like cooking oil.
Onion Skins and Eggs
The membrane directly beneath the eggshell is the issue, according to some specialists, who also claim that eggshells are possibly safe and could even keep garbage disposal blades sharp. It can wrap around the blades, reducing their efficiency. Onion skins can clog your pipes by doing the same or by slipping past the blades unharmed.
If pieces become tangled in the blades, stop the disposal and retrieve the fragments with pliers or tongs. To clear the clog, throw a saucepan of boiling water down the disposal. If this doesn’t work, you might have to clear the clog with a plunger or plumbing snake. In the worst situation, a plumber will be required.
It is preferable to dispose of onions and eggshells as nutrient-rich compost heap additions.
Apply paint
Even while it may seem odd that you would ever voluntarily spill paint in your kitchen sink, it could be alluring to wash hands or supplies in the sink with the garbage disposal if it’s the nearest water supply to a child’s art project or maintenance site.
Paint and other strong chemicals, however, should not be poured down the drain since they will harm the pipes and your disposal. Paints like latex and oil can coat your pipes before they solidify and clog them.
Read also: Things You Should never Store In The Bathroom