6 Foods You Can Put Down the Garbage Disposal
The list of what can go down the disposal seems relatively short compared to what can’t go down the disposal. In reality, many foods can go in, but there are just a few specific things you must keep out. So, what foods can you put down the garbage disposal?
Before we discuss what foods can go in your garbage disposal, let’s take a look at what your garbage disposal is and what it actually does.
What Does Your Garbage Disposal Do?
Clearly you’re not running plastic, glass, and metal through your disposal. It is not meant to handle those items.
The term “garbage disposal” is actually misleading when you think about it. It’s designed to dispose of food waste exclusively. “A garbage disposal is an electrically powered device that is installed under a kitchen sink and sits between the sink’s drain and the drain trap.”
When food and other garbage go down into the disposal, it will pass through a shredder (some people call the teeth of the shredder as blades). The shredder works to grind up the food so it’s small enough to go down the drain and travel through your home’s plumbing system.
The Life of Your Garbage Disposal
Most garbage disposals can last around 10 to 12 years, depending on how well you care for them and, more importantly, what you put in them.
Suppose you repeatedly send items down the disposal that you shouldn’t. In that case, you won’t get as much lifetime use out of it, which may also cause additional plumbing issues.
Now that you have a better understanding of what a garbage disposal does, it’s easier to understand why some things are better suited for going into the garbage disposal while other things are not.
“The higher the horsepower, the more difficult foods it can process,” says Moen’s Wiegand. Disposals with 1 hp can tackle bones without rattling the sink or making it feel like your ears are bleeding.
Your home’s garbage disposal is mounted to the underside of your sink and most homes are not equipped with a high powered disposal. When you turn on your disposal, a spinning disc turns rapidly and forces your home’s food waste against the outer wall of its grinding chamber. This turns the food into tiny bits, which then get washed down by water through holes in the chamber wall.
While disposals do have two blunt metal “teeth,” called impellers, on the impeller plate, they do not have sharp blades, as most people believe they do. Still, it is not safe to stick your hand down there!
What Can Go in Your Garbage Disposal?
Ice Cubes
Occasionally, you can throw a few ice cubes down the drain. The solid ice can dislodge food residue on the blades as the teeth work through them. For an extra clean, freeze vinegar or lemon juice to clean and make your disposal smell good.
Liquids and Soft Foods
It’s pretty self-explanatory when it comes to these; some people say, “if a toddler could chew it, it’s good to go down the disposal.” If you choose to dispose of solid foods, chop them up into shredable pieces.
Citrus Rinds
Yes, citrus rinds are one of the things on the list that can be put in the garbage disposal, and on the plus side, they benefit the equipment!
Citrus rinds can help keep the garbage disposal clean and smell nice. Fruit scraps can also go into the disposal and help the smell. This may surprise you but they help to naturally clean your disposal and leave it smelling nice and fresh.
Wet (canned) Pet Food
Should your dog or cat leaves uneaten canned food in their bowl, it’s perfectly fine to dump it down the garbage disposal.
Dish Soap
Chances are you’re not throwing a dish soap bottle down the drain. However, you can pour some in, run some cold water and the disposal, and have a nice-smelling drain.
Sticky Foods?
For optimal function of your disposal, run cold water through it for 20 to 30 seconds before and after you grind up any waste. If you don’t, slimy, greasy or sticky food scraps will remain in the disposal, and this can cause your sink to smell bad.
Plus, when left behind, they dry, producing a “glue-like” substance. This will increase the need for a drain cleaning.
Leave These for the Trash Can
Bones
Bones are pretty hard on a garbage disposal. They are better fit for the trash. Sending them down the disposal could cause severe damage. That said, if you drop a small bone into your garbage disposal, it’s usually not a big deal and should grind up without causing any problems.
“People worry that bones will break the disposal’s blades—but food waste grinders actually don’t have blades,” says InSinkErator’s Schultz, explaining that an impeller uses centrifugal force to spin food up against a stationary grind ring. “What you may notice with entry-level disposals is they can be quite loud and vibrate a lot when grinding bones, but they’ll still pulverize them into small particles.”
Fruit Pits, Veggie Scraps, Corn Cobs
Celery, artichokes, corn cobs, edamame pods, asparagus, and rhubarb are also problematic.
“Premium garbage disposals with multi-grind technology can handle fibrous foods in small amounts,” says Eric Schultz, director of product management at InSinkErator. “But stringy materials tend to go through most garbage disposals and ball up in your plumbing, causing clogs.”
According to research, 59 percent of users are guilty of tossing vegetable peels into their disposals, while 20 percent put in artichokes, and only 4 percent attempt to grind corn husks.
Coffee Grounds
There are some mixed answers on this one, but we’re okay with you putting small amounts of coffee grounds down your drain. However, please don’t put a significant amount because it can collect in the pipes and create a clog or backup. This is due to the oil in the coffee grounds.
Call Complete Plumbing & Drain for a Clogged Garbage Disposal
No matter how careful you are, all appliances eventually succumb to wear and tear. That’s where we come in. Leave the plumbing problems to our trained plumbers at Complete Plumbing & Drains.