There are many worst foods for garbage disposal that should be avoided so the device can function effectively.
Garbage disposals are often misused by a lot of people. Of course, this machine has proven to be of great importance in the household. It processes food waste down the drain and helps in maintaining a neat kitchen environment.
Many people are not aware that certain food should not be put at their disposal. When these foods are put in it, it causes clogging and sink blockage. These food are:
Foods that are worse for garbage disposal are listed below:
- Potato Peels
- Coffee Grounds
- Animal Bones
- Shells of Egg
- Onion Peels
- Fats and Grease
- Rice
- Pasta
- Bread
- Fibrous meat
- Vegetable Peels
- Fruit Seeds
- Glass, Plastic, Paper, and other non-food items
Can You Put Food Down the Garbage Disposal?
Yes, you can put foods down in the garbage disposal but certain foods should never be out in the disposal. This is to avoid clogging the system and maintain the efficiency of the machine.
We often treat the garbage disposal like the trash can, NO! It shouldn’t be so; the garbage disposal can only handle so much.
It is very easy to just put all the trash into the disposal without sorting to save time and energy but that is actually the wrong way to go about it.
As useful as the garbage disposal is, proper caution and care must be applied in using it. This is important because some foods can cause serious damage to the system.
13 Worst Foods for Garbage Disposal You Must Avoid
Here are the worst foods that should not go down the garbage disposal:
1. Potato Peels
Potato peels are starchy foods, the starch level in them is really high. Sometimes, potato peels might be so tiny or so thin to slip through the blades of the disposal but oftentimes, potato peels come together to form a paste.
This paste is gummy and very starchy. It causes clogging in the system. Therefore, you should not put potato peels down the garbage disposal to avoid clogging and other damages.
2. Coffee Grounds
I know you are probably wondering why coffee grounds are on this list. Permit me to inform you, as finely grounded as these solids are, coffee grounds are the second most-dangerous food to put in your garbage disposal.
Coffee grounds are very hard, the blades of the garbage disposal cannot grind them any further. When they are put into the garbage disposal, they clump together and cause a clog.
3. Animal Bones
Yes, the blades of garbage disposals are strong but they cannot break down the bones of animals. These bones should be put in the kitchen trash instead.
Animal bones like chicken bones will obstruct the blades and linger in the system. Light bones like fish bones will not be a problem to garbage disposal though.
4. Egg Shells
The garbage disposal will be damaged if you put eggshells in it. It is not a good idea to put eggshells in it to prevent unnecessary clogging.
5. Onion Peels
Peels from onions do not have a place in the garbage disposal. These peels will create a natural obstruction to other items in the system. Watch out for those onion peels! Especially the outer membranes.
6. Fats and Grease
Here we go, this is a no-brainer to put in a garbage disposal. Oils, fats, and grease will damage the disposal completely with time.
When oil is poured inside the disposal, it will slow down the blades and cause inefficiency. Also, when the fats put in the garbage disposal solidify after cooling, it will form a coat or a covering on the pipes.
This causes backups and clogging. Foods like butter, palm oil, vegetable oil should NEVER be put down in the garbage disposal.
Also, refusing to do this may cause your garbage disposal blades to wear out and leave you with no choice but to start looking for how to sharpen garbage disposal blades.
7. Rice
Rice is one of the worst foods for garbage disposal because rice is starchy. When rice is put in a garbage disposal, it will expand because starchy foods absorb water. Backups in the pipes will be created leading to clogging of the drain.
8. Pasta
Similar to rice, pasta contains starch and will clog the drain when put in the disposal. Therefore, do not put them down at the garbage disposal.
9. Bread
Bread is also one of the worst foods for garbage disposal because it contains starch. The end result is the same, clogging. Therefore, do not put them down at the garbage disposal.
10. Fibrous Meat
Meat is rich in fiber and its strands can tangle around the blades of the garbage disposal. Apart from meat, other fibrous foods such as celery, banana skin, and rhubarb should not be put in the garbage disposal.
11. Vegetable Peels
The peels from carrots, cucumbers, and other vegetables are not suitable for use in garbage disposal. With time, these peels will form a solid (paste) and obstruct the motion of the disposal’s blades.
12. Fruit Seeds
Fruits that have these hard middle seeds: cherry seeds, mango seeds, and so on. They are harmful to the disposal for obvious reasons. They are as strong as stones. Would you put a stone into the disposal? I’m sure you wouldn’t.
It may cause the blades to get loose and leave you with no choice but to start looking for how to tighten loose garbage disposal blades.
13. Non-Food Items
Glass, plastics, paper as well as other non-food materials do not have a place in the garbage disposal. They should be put instead in the trash can.
Not following these rules may cause your garbage disposal to be damaged and leave you with no choice but to start looking for how to replace the garbage disposal blades.
Can You Put Bread Down the Garbage Disposal?
As already explained, bread is a starchy food. Starch does not go well with water. When the bread is put in the garbage disposal, a paste is formed and the paste will form a clog.
Clogging of the pipes will lead to damage to the garbage disposal. So, no. bread should not be put down in the garbage disposal.
Can You Put Bones Down the Garbage Disposal?
Light bones such as bones from fish can be put in the disposal but chicken bones and other animal bones should not be put in the garbage disposal because the bones are not soft enough to be ground by the disposal’s blades.
Therefore, the bones will cause problems by hanging around the blades and obstructing other food items from being ground.
Final Thoughts
As useful as this garbage disposal turns out to be, proper care should be given to the machine. Simple procedures should be followed in the use of garbage disposal. Those worst foods for garbage disposal listed in this article should not be put down the garbage disposal. Damage to the disposal might be very expensive to fix. Therefore, take care of what is important to you by following simple procedures.
