Avoid Putting These Things Down the Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are picky about what you put down them. As tempting as it is to turn on that switch and quickly throw left-over dinner in the sink, take a second look before you toss. Some things just should not go down the garbage disposal.

Here are a few prime culprits to avoid:

Pasta - No matter what type of noodle, all pastas will expand when exposed to water. If pasta goes down the garbage disposal, it will swell, causing major back-up problems.

Rice, Potatoes, and Beans- Same problems as the pasta.

Chicken, Turkey, Meat Bones - No explanation needed with this one, right?

Coffee Grounds - These innocent seeming coffee left-overs are actually harmful for garbage disposals. They can pile up down there. causing slimy sludgy build-up. Try tossing coffee grounds in your garden instead.

Celery, Asparagus, Corn Husks, Lettuce, Carrots, Onion Skins and Potato Peels - All these foods can tangle around your garbage disposal's blades. Not a good thing.

Grease, Fats and Oil - Grease is a no-no for disposals for a couple of reasons. First, as the grease begins to decay, it can cause an unpleasant odor in the kitchen. Second, grease can clog drains which can lead to expensive problems.

Egg Shells - Many of us might think egg shells are fine to put down the garbage disposal. However, many plumbing experts warn against doing this. The egg shells have stringy membranes that can cling to the disposal blades, and when the shells are finally ground down, the sandy consistency that forms can cause damage to the pipes.