Garbage disposal systems hold an interesting place in our culture and media. They’re marketed as a wonderful solution to food waste that ends up in the sink, but the truth is that many customers think they can put a lot more in their garbage disposal than they should. While putting bones and shards of glass from a broken bottle down the garbage disposal might sound like a cool idea, in practice it can lead to some awful results that you’ll probably end up paying for.
So, this is going to be more of a PSA blog post about how to treat your garbage disposal in Cincinnati right. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with putting something in the regular garbage if you’re unsure as to whether it can go down the garbage disposal or not. Leave the garbage disposal for the softer food waste and skins or peels that can easily come apart.
Three Things to Avoid Putting Down the Garbage Disposal
Let’s hit the ground running with some specific things you should never put down the garbage disposal. That doesn’t mean that they have to sit in your sink, you can just toss them into your regular garbage (or even compost if you’re more environmentally conscious) and forget about them.
Bones and Hard Materials
Here’s a general rule, if you can’t break up the material easily by hand, then you shouldn’t put it down the garbage disposal. This includes bones and materials that are hard.
The reasoning for this is that your garbage disposal is a system meant to last for a while. It’s not that a garbage disposal can’t chop up or break apart bones, but those bones will dull and practically destroy the system, even if it’s brand-new!
Fats, Oils, and Grease
Fats, oils, and grease are materials that you should never put down the drain–period. You might think that you garbage disposal can cut right through them and flush them away, but the truth is more insidious.
Fats, oils, and grease, otherwise known as FOG, will solidify when they’re cooled down in your drains. This means they’ll enter your drain as a liquid and solidify, creating a drain clog that your garbage disposal can’t do anything about!
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds might seem like a simple thing to put down the drain, but they can be awful for your garbage disposal. Coffee grounds can combine into a thick syrup or paste, gunking up the blades of your garbage disposal and even creating a drain clog that requires professional attention.
What Can You Put Down the Garbage Disposal?
Here are just a few examples of things you can put down the garbage disposal.
- Water. Water and other liquids can easily and safely travel through your garbage disposal.
- Soft fruits and foodwaste. Soft foodwaste can easily be cut up by the blades of your garbage disposal.
- Vegetable scraps. These are basically what the garbage disposal was built to consume. It will chop these scraps up into a watery liquid that can be sent down your drain pretty easily.
For help with your garbage disposal, call Ken Neyer Plumbing, Inc.