Foods You Should Never Put Down the Kitchen Sink Garbage Disposal

Do you have a handy garbage disposal in your kitchen? Using these waste units can be easy, but what we may not realize is that they are easy to damage. The main problem? Food. Food has the tendency to get stuck on the way down, which can cause damage to your pipes!

Here are five foods you should never put down the kitchen sink garbage disposal:

Meat. Especially raw meat - it becomes stringy and gets caught around the blades. If you must dispose, be sure to send it down in very small pieces. 

Grease and Oil. Grease easily clogs up the garbage disposal and ruins your pipes. To be on the safe side, either wipe it off with a paper towel or run cold water when sending greasy food down the drain.

Pasta and Rice. No matter how much water you run, it’s difficult to break down the starch in rice. Cooked or uncooked, pasta and rice can easily swell and clog your pipes.

Flour. It may be soft and grainy, but once flour becomes wet, it turns into glue. It then becomes hard and thick when dry, which can cause problems for your disposal. 

Fruit Peels. The tough skin of fruit is hard to break down and can easily get caught in your garbage disposal. Rule of thumb: Never dispose half a fruit or larger all at once. Banana peels should never be put down the disposal, as they are long, slimy, and stringy.

It’s always a good idea to scrape food off your plates before washing them. Remember, your garbage disposal shouldn’t be used as a substitute for your trash bin.

Is your kitchen sink garbage disposal already clogged or worn? Don’t worry - that’s why we’re here! Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is your solution for all sewer, drain, and pipe problems. Give us a call at 516.974.7937 or visit our website for more information.