Items to Avoid in Garbage Disposal Drains, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on items that should never be placed down your garbage disposal. While the garbage disposal is a strong and durable piece of equipment that will help break down certain limited solids, it is not meant to serve as an all-purpose trash bin in the kitchen and can be damaged or even broken by certain items.

At My Buddy the Plumber, we’re proud to offer drain cleaning, sewer line repair and many other services related to the drains in your home, including the kitchen drain to your garbage disposal. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll go over a few additional item types that should be avoided in the garbage disposal at all times.

Stringy or Fibrous Items

One of the primary themes you may have noticed here is avoiding stringy foods or any kind of item that might wrap itself around the garbage disposal blades. This is one of the top causes of damage to garbage disposals, as blades can struggle to move or be dulled by various food types becoming stuck in them.

One major group to avoid here are various fibrous veggies like celery, onion peels, lettuce, asparagus, corn husks and others. These are all know to potentially wrap around disposal blades in many cases, and should be disposed of in other methods to avoid garbage disposal damage.

Coffee Grounds

For those who enjoy coffee in the morning or at any point in the day, it’s important to remember to toss coffee grounds in the trash or another disposal area. One or two accidental dumps of coffee grounds down your garbage disposal likely won’t damage anything, but repeated such behavior will wear down your blades much faster than normal.

Pits or Seeds

If you enjoy eating fruits with significant pits in them, such as peaches, cherries or even avocados, do not toss these pits in the garbage disposal – these can be incredibly harmful due to their hardness, and should be removed if you accidentally drop them down there. Seeds may not create quite the immediate damage, but should also be avoided for long-term wear-down risks.

Non-Food Items

Finally, no matter what it might be, any item that’s not specifically edible or biodegradable should never be placed down the garbage disposal. This means any plastic, paper, metal, wood, glass or anything else you can think of that you wouldn’t eat. Even items like napkins or tissues should never be placed in this area no matter what.

For more on items to avoid placing in the garbage disposal, or to learn about any of our plumbing services, speak to the staff at My Buddy the Plumber today.