A garbage disposal is designed to help you get rid of food waste. It is mounted under your sink; it will grind up food and waste into tiny parts. However, your garbage disposal is not the same as your trash can. You can just put whatever you want into your garbage disposal. You can easily get your garbage disposal clogged, which will result in you having to pay money to a plumber to get it fixed. In this article, I will discuss things that you should never put in your garbage disposal.

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Foods And Things To Not To Put in Garbage Disposal

• Oil
• Grease
• Fat
• Egg Shells
• Nut Shells
• Coffee Grounds
• Pits
• Seeds
• Animal Bones
• Rice
• Pasta
• Bread
• Harsh Chemicals

Foods You Can Put in Your Garbage Disposal

• Fruit Scraps
• Cooked Meat
• Citrus Rinds
• Small Bones
• Most Vegetable Scraps

1. Cooking Oils and Grease

You should avoid putting excess oil and grease down your drain. If you doing this often, you will end up with a clogged drain and that is something you definitely don’t want to happen. The oil and grease can get thick in your drain and cause it to clog. If this happens, you will have to pay out of pocket to get your drain fixed. Depending on the severity of the clog, this can be expensive. You’re better of doing things the right way so that you don’t have to hire a plumber to unclog your drain.

2. Fruit Pits

People think that it is ok to put fruit pits down their drain, however, that is definitely not the case at all. If you put fruit pits in your garbage disposal, this can cause your garbage disposal blades to crack, break, or dent. So, so you want to avoid that at all costs.

3. Paint

People put all kinds of things in their drain, well, paint is something that you should not pour down your garbage disposal or drain. It doesn’t matter if the paint you are using is plant-based or water-based, it is still bad for your drain. Paint can lead to clogs and can also prevent the proper disposal of waste in your pipes.

4. Medicine

If you have medicine or pills that you don’t use or need, you should not pour them down your drain. Medical waste can be harmful to the water supply as well as the environment. So, you’re better off disposing of medicine at your local pharmacy just so that you can be on the safer side.

5. Potato Peels

You definitely should not put potato peels in your garbage disposal. Potato peels can expand and turn into a glue-like substance, which will definitely block and clog up your drains. It might be tempting to get rid of potato peels this way, however, I would advise you not to do it so that you don’t end up with drain and garbage disposal issues.

6. Rice and Beans

Rice and beans are similar to potato peals in the sense that they are starchy, which can clog and deteriorate your drain. A small amount of rice or beans isn’t going to cause any damage. However, problems may arise when you consistently put these foods down your drains, and also in excessive amounts. This is something that you should not do.

7. Egg Shells

A lot of people put egg shells in their garbage disposals, however, they don’t know that it’s causing more harm than good. Eggshells can easily stick to your drain. Eventually, they will stick together and clog your drain. With that being said, don’t put egg shells in your garbage disposal.

8. Coffee Grounds

Based on what plumbers have been saying for years, you should not put coffee grounds into your garbage disposal. In fact, putting coffee grounds down your drain is actually one of the worst things that you can do. This is because it will clog your drain. Coffee grounds can result in the build of grease and also sludge that will certainly cause you to have drain problems. Not only that, your drain will smell like coffee, which is something that you definitely don’t want. You can use your coffee grounds for composting around your house.

9. Drain Cleaner 

If you have a clogged drain, you can put drain cleaner down your garbage disposal. Drano is supposed to unclog your drain for you. Drano works in the sense it creates heat inside of your drain, which is precisely how it will melt away and dislodge items and particles that are clogging your drain. To effectively use Drano, you will need to clean your sink, use a plunger, and then deploy Drano. That’s pretty much all that you have to do as it pertains to using Drano in your sink or garbage disposal.

10. Bleach 

It is not recommended to put bleach in your garbage disposal in its original form or concentration. Bleach can harden existing grease and oils in your drain. Instead, you should dilute the bleach before you pour it down your garbage disposal. To do this, mix water with your bleach. The bleach can help get rid of smell persistent odors in your drain. Generally, bleach is not safe for garbage disposals, so it’s not something that you should do often at all. Only use bleach if you’ve tried other options.

11. Limes

You can put limes in your garbage disposal. It is said that lemons and limes are an excellent way to clean your garbage disposal. The citrus peels can easily deodorize your drain and garbage disposal. If you have lemons or limes, then you should give it a try. Add some fresh scents to your garbage disposal!

12. Banana Peels

You could put banana peels in your garbage disposal if you rarely do it. However, it’s not recommended. Starchy or stringy foods should not go down your garbage disposal or drain. Excess waste from banana peels will eventually clog your drain. You don’t want to end up with a sink full of water. So, it’s best not to do it at all.

13. Pasta

Americans eat a lot of pasta, which means that a lot of people try to get rid of it through their sink. The problem is that pasta expands with water. So, this is something that you don’t want to do. You should avoid putting foods like pasta in your garbage disposal because they will only expand and clog your sink.

14. Orange Peels 

The majority of fruits and vegetable skins are not safe for your garbage disposal. In fact, they are quite harmful. In this case, you can put orange peels in a garbage disposal. Citrus peels are usually safe for drain, so that shouldn’t be an issue at all.

15. Shrimp Shells 

There are lots of things that should never go in your garbage disposal. I can tell you that shrimp shells are one of them. Generally speaking, anything with shells should not go into your garbage disposal. If you do this, you will most likely end up with broken garbage disposal or clogged drain.

16. Can You Have A Garbage Disposal in a Farmhouse Sink?

You can put a garbage disposal in a farmhouse sink. If it’s a single or double bowl farmhouse sink, then you will be able to add a garbage disposal to it. If you’re able to remove the existing strainer, then it should not be an issue.

17. Cantaloupe Rinds

You should do your best to avoid putting cantaloupe rinds into your garbage disposal so that you don’t end up with a clog that you will have to fix. Pits, seeds, and rinds can result in a clogged sink or drain. Instead, you should put your cantaloupe rinds into your trash can.

18. Carrot Peels 

Carrot peels can result in the build of a thick past-like substance that will damage your garbage disposal. So, don’t put it in your garbage disposal. If you do this often, then you are pretty much guaranteed to have problems with your drain.

19. Meat 

Generally speaking, you can put meat for disposal in a sink if it has been cooked. However, as with anything in life, you have to do it with moderation. You don’t want to shove large chunks of meat down your garbage disposal because that’s just asking for trouble.

20. Noodles 

It is advised that you don’t put noodles or anything similar in your sink or disposal. When wet, noodles can expand easily and become thick, which the exact kind of thing that can clog a drain fast. So, if you’ve put noodles down your sink, then you should stop doing it to prevent your drain from being clogged.

21. Can You Put Salmon Skin in The Garbage Disposal?

It should be safe to put salmon in your sink for disposal. However, that doesn’t mean that you should make a habit of it. Not all disposals are the same. If you have a powerful one that really grinds up foods and waste, then it should be ok; do it in moderation.

22. Watermelon Rinds 

Put watermelon rinds into your trash; they don’t belong in your sink or disposal. Harder rinds can cause your blades to get stuck or jammed. So, it will be in your interest to not do this.

23. Chicken Bones 

In general, bones don’t belong in your drain or sink at all. It’s one thing if the bones are small, however, if they are larger, then that’s a recipe for disaster. Never put bones into your sink or drain. Bones are by far one of the worst things that can be put into a garbage disposal.

24. Baking Soda And Vinegar 

Baking soda and vinegar are two common household items that can help you effectively clean out your garbage disposal and drain. People have been using vinegar to clean garbage disposals for years now. So, if you don’t feel like buying drain cleaners, you can definitely give it a try.

25. Put Corn Cobs 

Hard or fibrous foods can result in disposal damage, which can also lead to a drain that isn’t working or letting our water properly. You should not put corn cobs in your garbage disposal.

26. Ice Cubes 

Interestingly you can put ice cubes in your sink for disposal. In fact, ice cubes can actually help sharpen blades and also break up grease, oils, and other waste material. If you need an effective way to clean your disposal, then you should consider putting a bunch of ice into it. Also, you can also add salt to it, which will make it even more effective.

27. Tea Bags 

You definitely don’t want to put tea bags into your sink. This is an action that you should never take. Avoid plastic, tea bags, glass, paper wood, and so on. If you put these things in it, then you will only get closer to waking up one day to a clogged. So, just don’t do it so that you can avoid having to spend money on repairs.

Conclusions

It’s best to avoid plumbers at all costs because you will end up with a plumbing repair bill. Putting the wrong foods and things down your drain will do a lot of damage. Excess oils, foods, etc., can build up and clog your drains. When this happens, you will end up with water in your sink that won’t go away, which will require you to get in touch with a plumber. To avoid this problem, you should be careful of the things that you put into your garbage disposal!