Most people tend to deal with their food waste by putting it down the garbage disposal. But this habit won't always solve your food waste problems as there are certain limitations to what can actually go through your garbage disposal. Read on to find about the six items you should never put down the garbage disposal. 

Starchy Food

starch garbage disposal clog

Any food that's heavy on starch, such as potato peels, rice, pasta, and bread, can clog your sink. When you throw these food items down your garbage disposal, it can clog the mechanism and stop it from working. The clog may even cause the disposal unit to stop turning.

As a general rule of thumb, avoid putting rice and pasta down your garbage disposal. This will prevent any clogs from occurring when you use the sink.

Grease

Salty and greasy foods will only make your garbage disposal unit break down faster than usual. It can also make stray food particles stick to the insides of your sink.

grease garbage disposal clog

It's best to avoid throwing away grease, oil, and butter down the sink. Instead, let them harden, then throw them in the trash. This will prevent the food from going down the drain and causing further damage.

Bones

Animal bones (not just chicken bones, but also any other bone) are too hard to grind down. This can damage your garbage disposal unit and can even cause it to break down.

As animal bones cannot be broken down by a typical garbage disposal, this will cause the unit to break down faster. Instead, soak the bones overnight and then throw them out in the trash.

Eggshells

Eggshells are not only difficult to grind, but they will also cause your garbage disposal unit to screech. Aside from that, eggshells contain calcium which is hard to break down. It can also cause further damage to your garbage disposal unit.

Just like bones and other hard food, you should throw eggshells into the trash. It's best to avoid grinding them down completely.

Seeds

Seeds are another food item that is difficult for your garbage disposal to work on. Not only can it cause your garbage disposal to screech, but it can also get lodged in your unit. Remember, the garbage disposal is only capable of crushing food, not seeds.

Again, you should avoid grinding seeds down. Put them into the trash instead.

Meat

Yes, meat is a food item that's not ideal for your garbage disposal. Not only will it make a mess in your sink, but it can also clog your sink. You should avoid putting down meat because it can cause your garbage disposal to break down even faster.

This is because meat cannot be properly broken down by your garbage disposal. Your garbage disposal will break down even faster by trying to grind down meat.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, not every food item is appropriate for your garbage disposal. You may think that it's a good idea to use your garbage disposal for every kind of food item, but that could not be more wrong. By doing so, you do not only risk damaging your garbage disposal unit, but also risk causing further problems in your sink. 

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