8 Items You Didn’t Know Were Bad for Your Garbage Disposal | Tips from Your Carrollton, TX Drain Cleaning Expert
If you have a garbage disposal in your Carrollton, TX home you may not even think about the things that you’re putting in it. Most people tend to use their garbage disposal as a garbage can, dumping anything and everything in it every day. The problem is, that results in a whole lot of damage to your drains and plumbing. And you end up needing drain cleaning a whole lot more often. But you may not even realize just how bad things are or what items you’re putting in the garbage disposal that shouldn’t be there.
Bones – Bones actually don’t get broken up by the garbage disposal, but they do bounce around and damage the blades. Not only that but they could become stuck in the blades or stuck further down the drain. That results in a blockage that you need a drain cleaning to fix (or something more serious). It also causes the garbage disposal to stop working if those bones get stuck in there and don’t come out. Keep in mind that you should never reach into the garbage disposal to try to dislodge something (like bones) that gets stuck in there.
Celery – This may sound like a strange one because celery isn’t really all that hard, but it does have a lot of fibers to it and those fibers can very easily get caught up in the blades of your disposal. What happens then is that it can get stuck, overheat or be damaged in other ways. You definitely don’t want anything with a lot of fibers getting in there, including things like corn husks or even asparagus. These items don’t make it all the way through the disposal and they will start to rot wrapped around the blades, until you get professional drain cleaning.
Coffee Grounds – Does this one seem a little weird to you? After all, coffee grounds are quite small and they’re definitely not hard enough to damage the blades. The problem is that they don’t go all the way down the drain. And then you end up with soggy coffee ground stuck in your garbage disposal or somewhere within the drain. And they sit there for a long time. They can actually start to rot in there and you’ll definitely know that they’re there by then.
Egg Shells – The outer shell of the egg is not a big deal and some believe it helps to sharpen the blades of your garbage disposal. The problem is the membrane that’s stuck firmly to the inside of the egg shell. That membrane can easily become stuck on the blades as the shells are broken, which causes damage and makes it harder for the blades to actually work. After all, you’re going to have other things you need the blades to cut through and they won’t be able to if there is a covering wrapped around the sharp portion of the blade.
Pits and Seeds – There are pits and seeds with a number of different fruits and these are extremely hard. That means your blades are definitely not going to get through them. You might think the pit is small enough that it will just go right through the drain, but chances are it’s going to be hit by a blade first. And that blade could break or be damaged or the pit could get stuck on the blade, which can cause even more damage. It could also get stuck somewhere in your drain if it does manage to get all the way through the blades and the disposal.
Grease – This is one of the things that you may have heard about before and it’s definitely one of the main reasons you might need drain cleaning. That’s because you pour liquid oil or grease into your garbage disposal and then it turns into a semi-solid as it cools. That sticks directly to the pipes and drain all the way down (however far it actually gets). You can also get it stuck to the blades on your garbage disposal, where it’s impossible to get off without getting professional drain cleaning.
Pasta – Pasta and rice expand with water. It’s part of the way that they cook. So, when you put them down your garbage disposal and then pour water over top of them they tend to expand even more. This can cause them to wrap and get stuck around your disposal and blades. It can also cause them to swell in the drains. Before you know it, you have a very serious problem because now your rice or pasta has filled up the disposal or blocked off the drain entirely and there’s no way to get it out of there safely.
Potato Peels – The excess starch in these potato peels causes them to break down into a pretty soggy, gross mess. They also don’t make it all the way through the disposal or the drain, which means that they’re going to sit where they fall and then they’re going to start to rot. Other foods that do the same thing are beans and anything with a lot of starch. You want to avoid putting them in your disposal so that you can keep it working properly and not in need of frequent drain cleaning.
If you’re using your garbage disposal like a regular garbage can you’re definitely not doing yourself any favors. You’re also hurting your garbage disposal in ways that are going to be a whole lot of trouble for you in the long run. You want to make sure that you can keep using that garbage disposal, and that won’t happen if you’re putting these things in it. Make sure that you are careful about what you throw in there. And, if at all possible, keep food items out of the disposal entirely. Your drains aren’t meant to handle food waste. It’s only going to mean even more drain cleaning for your Carrollton, TX home. Contact bluefrog plumbing + drain today for plumbing service and repair.