What Not to Put in Your Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal can handle a lot, but it can't handle everything. Putting the wrong things down the disposal is the number one cause of jams, clogs, and premature failure. Here's what to keep out and why.

Grease, Oil, and Fat

This is the biggest one. Grease goes down the drain as a liquid but cools and solidifies inside your pipes, creating a buildup that narrows the drain line over time. Eventually it causes a full clog, and not just in the disposal but further down the line where it's much harder and more expensive to fix. Pour grease into a container and throw it in the trash instead.

Bones (Large Ones)

Small chicken bones and fish bones are generally fine in a disposal with enough power. But large bones from beef, pork, or lamb ribs are too hard and too dense for the grinding components to handle. They'll bounce around inside the chamber without breaking down and can jam or damage the flywheel. Throw large bones in the trash.

Fibrous Vegetables

Celery, asparagus, artichokes, corn husks, onion skins, and similar fibrous foods are notorious for wrapping around the grinding components and causing jams. The stringy fibers don't get chopped up. They wind around the impellers like thread around a spool. Small amounts are okay if you run plenty of water, but large quantities should go in the trash or compost.

Pasta, Rice, and Bread

These foods expand when they absorb water. Pasta and rice in particular can swell inside the drain line and create a sticky, starchy clog. A few scraps rinsed off a plate are fine. Dumping a pot of leftover pasta down the disposal is not.

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds seem harmless because they're so fine, but they accumulate in the drain line and pack together into a dense, sludgy mass. They're one of the most common causes of slow drains after a disposal. Throw them in the trash or compost them.

Egg Shells

There's a common myth that egg shells sharpen the blades of a garbage disposal. This isn't true. Garbage disposals don't have blades. They have impellers that push food against a grinding ring. Egg shells break into tiny pieces that can stick to the grinding components and the inside of the drain pipe, contributing to buildup over time. They won't damage the disposal, but they're not helping it either. Compost them or toss them.

Fruit Pits and Hard Seeds

Peach pits, avocado pits, cherry pits, and other large hard seeds are too dense for most disposals to grind. They'll jam the flywheel or just bounce around without breaking down. Toss them in the trash.

Non-Food Items

This should go without saying, but it happens more often than you'd think. Twist ties, rubber bands, produce stickers, small pieces of plastic wrap, and bits of packaging can all end up in the disposal by accident. They don't break down and they get tangled in the grinding components. Be mindful of what goes in when you're scraping plates.

The Golden Rule

When in doubt, throw it in the trash. Your garbage disposal is designed for small amounts of soft food waste, not as a replacement for a trash can. Run cold water before, during, and after every use to keep things moving through the drain line. And if something does go wrong, Denver Disposal is here to help.

We specialize in garbage disposal repair and replacement throughout the Denver metro area. Our pricing is on our site, there are no diagnostic fees, and same-day appointments are available. Book online or call (720) 312-3542.