We get a lot of questions from people wondering what is OK to put down their kitchen sink garbage disposal and what is NOT OK to dispose of. You will see all sorts of tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages but we thought we’d round some of those up into one easy list right here.
These Items are OK To Put Down the Disposal
- Ice cream/milk/dairy products
- Fruit (not the rinds like on melons)
- Ice water - great for cleaning the drain (add in lemon/lime/orange citrus for scent)
- Fast Food leftovers
- Tomatoes and other veggies are generally fine
These Items are Not OK to Put Down the Disposal
- Potato skins/vegetable skins get stuck on the sides of the pipes and start to accumulate making it harder for other items to get through.
- Pasta, rice, and cereals swell in the pipes just like they do in liquids.
- Grease will gunk up and start to smell after a while.
- Vegetables, canola and olive oils will also gunk up and start to put off a bad aroma after a time.
- Bones (like ribs and chicken) keep spinning around the blades and eventually clog other things from going down the drain.
- Medicines are not suggested to be put down your drains and disposals as they eventually could get into the groundwater and contaminate the drinking systems.
- Paint and other chemicals are also not to be put down your drains. Here is where Cumberland County wants those items to go.
What do I do if something is stuck in the disposal and it’s not draining?
We all know that you are going to Google it before you call us. But, you could always call us first and see what we suggest based on your situation.
Here is a good, descriptive video where someone shows you how to take apart your garbage disposal and clean the drains.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59b5vyk-BRc
Cleaning the Disposal
Now and then, it’s a good idea to run some ice cubes down the disposal to clean the blades. Also, you could put some citrus fruit like orange or lime in with the cubes to freshen the scent of the drain.
In general, when you have plumbing issues, we always suggest you start with a quick call to your plumber to see if they have any suggestions that you can try at home before setting up a house call.
Everyone makes mistakes, so if you find your garbage disposal is jammed or need any plumbing issues, give us a call at (910) 390-1742.