A garbage disposal is great for dealing with small bits of food after dinner, but it has its limits. Tossing the wrong things down there can leave you with a jammed disposal, a clogged sink, or an expensive plumbing repair.
Some foods create thick buildup, some get tangled around the grinding parts, and others are simply too hard for the disposal to handle. A few of these items might seem harmless, but repeated use can cause trouble over time.
Here are some of the most common things you should keep out of your garbage disposal.
Grease, Oil, and Animal Fat
Grease and cooking fat might go down the drain as a liquid, but that doesn’t mean they stay that way. As they cool, they can coat the inside of the disposal and the pipes, creating a sticky layer that catches bits of food.
Keep doing this over time and that buildup can turn into a nasty clog. If your sink starts draining slowly or develops an unpleasant smell, grease may be part of the problem.
It’s better to let grease cool and solidify, then put it in the trash.
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Eggshells
There’s a common belief that eggshells help sharpen garbage disposal blades. They don’t. The shells break into small, gritty pieces that can settle in the plumbing, while the thin membrane inside the shell can get caught around the grinding parts.
A few eggshells may not cause an immediate problem, but regularly sending them down the disposal can contribute to buildup and make the motor work harder.
Instead, toss the shells in the trash or add them to your compost if you have one.
Bones
Garbage disposals aren’t meant to handle large or dense bones. Hard pieces can damage the grinding components, get stuck in the chamber, or put too much strain on the motor.
Small bones can cause trouble, too, especially if they become lodged farther down the drain.
If your disposal suddenly starts rattling or making an unusual grinding sound after a meal, check whether a bone or another hard object made its way inside.
Related: 9 Ways to Clean a Smelly Garbage Disposal
Fibrous Vegetables (Celery, Corn Husks, Asparagus)
Celery, corn husks, asparagus, and other stringy vegetables can cause problems because their tough fibers don’t break apart easily. Instead, the strands can wrap around the grinding mechanism and leave the disposal struggling to keep up.
Those fibers can also travel farther into the plumbing and collect with other food debris.
It’s much easier to throw the tough ends and skins in the trash or compost and keep the softer scraps out of the disposal.
Potato Peels
A handful of potato peels probably won’t ruin your disposal, but dumping a large pile down the drain is asking for trouble. Potato starch can turn into a thick paste when mixed with water, and that paste can stick to the inside of the disposal and pipes.
Before you dump those potato peels down the drain, consider saving them for another use or putting them in the trash.
Related: 15 Things You Should Never Do With Your Garbage Disposal
Pasta and Rice
Cooked pasta and rice continue soaking up water after they’re cooked. That becomes a problem inside your drain because the pieces can swell, stick together, and create a thick mass.
That mass can collect around other food debris and eventually slow the drain or cause a clog. If you’ve got leftover pasta or rice, scrape it into the trash or save it for another meal instead of washing it down the sink.
If your disposal is humming but the sink isn’t draining well, food that has swollen inside the plumbing could be part of the problem. Here’s another look at what can cause stubborn clogs.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can seem like an easy thing to rinse away, especially since they’re already so small. But they don’t dissolve in water.
Instead, they can settle in the pipes and mix with grease and other food residue. Over time, that can leave you with a thick layer of sludge that slows drainage and contributes to unpleasant smells.
Coffee grounds have plenty of other uses, so there’s little reason to send them down the drain.
Fruit Pits and Large Seeds
Avocado pits, peach pits, and other large fruit pits are far too hard for most household garbage disposals. Trying to grind one can damage the internal parts or leave the pit stuck inside the disposal.
Even if a hard pit makes it through the grinding chamber, it can get lodged farther down the plumbing.
Keep large pits and hard seeds out of the sink and toss them in the trash or compost them if appropriate.
Onion Skins
Onion skins are thin, but that doesn’t make them disposal-friendly. The slippery membranes can slip past the grinding parts without breaking down much, then wrap around the mechanism.
Once those pieces start tangling together, they can leave the disposal struggling or cause a jam.
It’s better to peel onions over the trash or compost bin and keep the skins out of the sink.
Seafood Shells
Shrimp, crab, lobster, and other seafood shells are hard and abrasive. A garbage disposal can have a tough time breaking them down, and sharp shell pieces can put extra wear on the grinding components.
Small pieces can also travel into the plumbing and collect with other debris. If you’re cleaning up after a seafood dinner, throw the shells in the trash instead of sending them through the disposal.
Here’s a closer look at other food items that can clog, corrode, and damage your pipes.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts might seem small enough for a disposal, but grinding them can create a thick, oily paste. Think about what happens when you grind peanuts into peanut butter. A similar thing can happen inside your disposal and pipes.
That sticky residue can cling to the sides and trap other bits of food, making a clog more likely.
Save nuts and seeds for the trash or compost instead.
Large Food Scraps
A garbage disposal works best with small amounts of food at a time. Trying to shove a large chunk of food into it can jam the grinding mechanism and put extra strain on the motor.
Cut larger scraps into smaller pieces and feed them through gradually if they’re safe for the disposal. Better yet, scrape large leftovers into the trash or compost rather than trying to make the disposal handle everything from your plate.
Non-Food Items
This one sounds obvious, but small household objects can accidentally end up in the sink. Rubber bands, twist ties, pieces of plastic, and bits of metal can quickly jam a garbage disposal.
These objects can damage the grinding parts or cause the motor to stop working.
Before turning on the disposal, take a quick look inside the sink and remove anything that doesn’t belong there. A few seconds of checking can save you from dealing with a much bigger mess later.
