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10 Things You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

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The first mistake we all make with our garbage disposal system is using it as a replacement for trash. It's easy to shove anything you want in there and just flip the switch, but this is a big no-no!

The machine in your sink is used to shred waste into small pieces so that it won't block your pipes. However, that doesn't mean you can put just about any type of food in there. If your disposal is not properly maintained, it can become your next household headache.

Here are 10 things you should never put in your garbage disposal.

1. Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds are already crushed up, so you'd think they would easily go down your garbage disposal. In fact, they only cause a sludgy mess and clog up your drain.

2. Bones

Meat bones are undoubtedly hard to break apart, which means your garbage disposal will have an equally hard time. Your blades are likely to get damaged beyond repair.

3. Certain grains

Grains like oatmeal and pasta absorb water and expand. This will ultimately clog your drain and wreak a lot of havoc.

4. Nuts

Shredded nuts can cause a lot of damage to your overall disposal system because they turn into sticky paste.

5. Onion Skins

Onion skins can also wrap around the blades or clog up the disposal.

Be careful you don't put these next five items in your disposal!

6. Egg Shells

The sticky residue on the membrane of your egg shells stick to the sides of your disposal instead of actually getting disposed. Instead of throwing them away, break them down and put them in your garden where they'll be adsorbed by plant roots.

7. Certain vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits that look like they have hair, such as corn husks, celery, and pumpkin, can easily get tangled up in the blades.

8. Potato Peels

Vegetables that contain a lot of starch, like potato peels, create a lot of mess in your disposal system. They will turn into a thick paste that will make your blades sticky, and you'll probably have to get your drain unclogged.

9. Grease

Whether you're pouring a lot of grease in your disposal or it just happens to accumulate over time, sooner or later your pipes will get clogged. Once that happens, you have no other choice but to pay for some assistance.

10. Things That Are Not Food!

We sometimes get lazy and put things other than food in our garbage disposal, which for some people becomes a terrible habit. Plumbers have reported finding cigarette buds and glass in disposal systems. They also tell customers to avoid putting harmful cleaning products in there because it can leech harmful chemicals.

Have you had any bad experiences with your garbage disposal machine?

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