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Items You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

Throwing food scraps into a garbage disposal is convenient way to get rid of kitchen waste. Some people don’t realize that there are some items that should never be placed in the garbage disposal, because they can damage the mechanism or cause a buildup in a drain. Here are foods that you absolutely must avoid throwing down your garbage disposal.

OILS, GREASE, AND FATS

If you cook with fats and oils, it is common to want to throw the excess down the disposal instead of handling it yourself. Fats, oil, and grease harden as they begin to cool, which can clog your sink’s pipes.

CERTAIN VEGETABLES

There are many different vegetables that consist of lengthy fibers, which are hard for your garbage disposal to break down. For example, celery frequently gets caught on the disposal’s blades, which can either create a huge clog or simply stop the disposal from working altogether.

POTATO SKINS

You might be able to put one or two potato skins down the disposal without significant issues but attempting to put a large amount down your drain at the same time can easily result in a clogged sink.

ABSORBENT GRAINS

Foods such as rice, bread, and pasta expand in size when water is added to them. This increases the risk of them clogging your system and causing severe damage to not only your garbage disposal, but your drains as well.

HARD ITEMS

This category includes chicken bones, pits, and kernels of any kind, all of which can take a major toll on a garbage disposal.

OTHER NON-FOOD PRODUCTS

Napkins, bottle caps, wrappers, paper towels, and straws, are all items that can potentially wreak havoc on your disposal system.

Even when you are being careful, accidents do happen. When an item does not interact well with the garbage disposal, it has the potential to shoot up and fly out of the system and your sink. This can be hazardous, so before turning on your garbage disposal, take a second to examine the area to make sure nothing potentially harmful is about it be pushed down the sink and into your disposal.

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