Despite the name, garbage disposal units aren’t meant for every kind of garbage. While it’s useful for breaking down things like scraps of meat or apple peels, other things can cause clogs and damage the disposal unit’s blades. At Stewart Plumbing, we know all about the kinds of things that can mess up a garbage disposal. 

Here are 8 examples of things you should never throw down your garbage disposal.

1. Bones and other solid trash. These sorts of things can’t get cut up by the blades and will just spin around with them. Even if they get by, they probably won’t get through the drain pipe.
2. Celery and other fibrous foods. The fibrous strings in these foods tend to get caught around the blades.
3. Coffee grounds and other sediment foods. While they look like they’ll go down easy, any sort of food that breaks up into sediment can clog up your drain and leave a sludgy mess.
4. Egg shells. This one is up for debate. Some say egg shells are totally safe for your disposal, while others say the membrane lining can stick to the sides of the disposal and wrap around the shredder.
5. Fruit pits. They’re tough enough for you to cut. Your garbage disposal isn’t going to cut it.
6. Grease and oils. This stuff might not even make it into your disposal. It’s much more likely that it’ll clog up your pipes.
7. Pasta and rice. These foods expand when exposed to water, even when fully cooked. Putting them down your disposal or drain can cause it to clog when it expands in the pipes.
8. Potato peels and other starchy foods. Even if you think you can put them down the drain from time to time, starchy foods will wind up creating a soupy mess in your disposal.

Why hire Stewart Plumbing to fix my garbage disposal?

If you find that your disposal unit isn’t breaking down food particles the way it did before, it might be time for some maintenance. Here at Stewart Plumbing, we’ve been helping people with their plumbing problems since 1993. Our plumbers have all completed a rigorous set of tests to makes sure we’ve got the best. We back up our work with the industry’s best warranties and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

If your garbage disposal needs fixing, call us today!