Things You Shouldn’t Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

If you want to keep your garbage disposal working for you for as long as possible, there are certain items you should avoid putting down it. These can clog it, get tangled in the blades, or block their rotation so it can’t chop up refuse effectively.

According to our plumbers: “Maintaining your septic system may require you to break some old habits, but, we promise that the more care you put into keeping your septic system running smoothly, the longer you can expect it to last.

A big Wilson Services DON’T is dumping your food waste into your garbage disposal. It makes the blades dull quicker, and adds 50% more solids to your system. Instead, compost your food waste, or just use your trash can!”

Here are a few of the worst offenders when it comes to putting things down your garbage disposal.

Grease

Most people think of grease as a liquid because that’s the state it’s in when they put it into their garbage disposals. However, grease cools at relatively warm temperatures and, when it does, it becomes a hard mass. Before that, it goes through a sticky stage. Neither of these is good for your garbage disposal!

Grease can harden into a solid blob that blocks the disposal or it can stay sticky and catch other materials that pass it by, eventually creating a massive, messy clog.

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds might look like they are going down easily but they can actually become a solid clump in your garbage disposal. They are particularly hard to remove because it’s difficult to get all of the grounds. Over time, coffee grounds can harden like sediment, too, which makes them even more difficult to get out of your disposal.

Bones

Large bones will either spin around with your blades or jam them up so they can’t spin. If these get down into your pipes whole or in large chunks, they are likely candidates to cause clogs there, too.

Eggshells

Some people will tell you to put eggshells down your garbage disposal because they will sharpen the blades but we are here to tell you to beware! The membrane inside the shell is tougher than it seems and it can wrap around the shredding mechanism, causing it to jam up.

If you have questions about your garbage disposal or are worried how it’s effecting your septic system, contact us at Wilson Services right away.