What CAN'T I put down my garbage disposal because it'll cause damage or jamming.?
Question:This is my first garbage disposal and I don't want to jam it up or ruin it or need a plumber, so i thought I'd ask first what not to ever put down it from all your experiences.
Answers:
Bones. Spoons. Corn husks tend to get twisted up.
Ice is good, helps clean it.
Don't put too much of anything down at one time.
the pits of fruits(plums<peaches mangos)corn cobs and bones(chicken turkey etc)
You can put any food scraps that can be EASILY cut with a knife. Nothing that is hard like metal, wood, bones, pebbles, etc. If you put fat, grease, or meat down there, you'll eventually have a smelly and clogged drain. Before you go to bed put a box of baking soda (the contents) down the drain and let it sit in there overnight then rinse it down in the a.m. every 2 weeks to keep it from stinking. Use plenty of water when using it and afterwards to rinse all the gunk away.
I tried to kill my boyfriend's disposal unit, well accidentally, by trying to grind the corn husks from our dinner. They are exactly what to avoid. Obviously, you wouldn't put fish or chicken bones, artichoke leaves, fruit pits or seeds, anything really leathery, or greasy / waxy. Some large chunks of meat, too.
One thing that helps, yes helps, is to drop in citrus peels, or slices of lemon, lime or oranges, grapefruit too, as long as they aren't too big. Even if you find an older piece of citrus fruit in the fridge, it will freshen the disposal, just cut it up and toss.
By the way, I got even with the B.F. one time by dumping the leftover cat food in there and not grinding it or rinsing it. But hey, he asked for it... He never actually figured it out!
YOUR HANDS!!!!!!!!
Among the items listed by others here, I would not to put any potato,cucumber,apple,onion,ca... peels down the disposal. Popcorn seeds, fish tank pebbles,coins, nails are also bad for disposals. For the most part food scraps are okay. Depending on the motor size of your garbage disposal, the bigger 3/4 horse power and more, can grind up more stuff.
Egg shells are okay, Ice cubes ( not all at once, as this will create a slush in the pipes and look like a clog) are great for garbage disposals, as the ice breaks up dried food in the disposal and sharpens the blade. Citrus peels do wonders in improving the odor. I usually run ice followed by some citrus peels no seeds.
no pasta,potatoes or skins,no seeds, no meat, no paper, no rines or vines, please dont put plants or soil in them, if ya stick to this list you'll probably be ok! also... it's best to use cold water with your disposal
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