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These days, garbage disposals are a mainstay in most homes. They’re great appliances for breaking down small food waste and preventing clogs in your kitchen pipes with a simple flick of a switch. And while they can make cooking and cleanup simpler, that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. It’s important to take good care of your disposal to maximize its service life. Thankfully, maintaining a working garbage disposal is fairly easy, and it starts with what not to put into it. Here are several items you should never put down your garbage disposal!

  1. Eggshells: Don’t listen to the myth that says eggshells sharpen your disposal blades! They’re much more likely to end up as debris particles that cause blockages.
  2. Bones: Refrain from putting bones down your disposal, including smaller bones such as chicken and fish bones. Disposals aren’t designed for this type of heavy-duty use.
  3. Grease: Pouring food grease down your sink is a big no-no and can end up solidifying and clogging your pipes, septic system, and even city sewers. Not to mention, grease deposits in your disposal and pipes can get rancid and smelly.
  4. Fibrous veggies: If you want to avoid potential garbage disposal damage, don’t throw down fibrous vegetables like celery, pumpkin, onion peels, corn husks, and similar veggies.
  5. Seafood shells: Similar to bones, the shells of seafood items like oysters, mussels, crabs, shrimp, and lobster are best thrown into the trash.
  6. Fruit pits: The hard pits found in cherries, peaches, and other “stone fruits” can damage your disposal, so toss them elsewhere!
  7. Trash: Even though the name is “garbage disposal,” this appliance is not meant to break down actual trash like paper towels, food wrappers, and the like.
  8. Nuts: Don’t try to make nut butters in your disposal, even unintentionally. Pulverizing nuts can result in a sticky, oily sludge, so keep them out of your sink.

Is your garbage disposal acting up or in need of repair or replacement? Contact our Winchester plumbing experts at Powell’s Plumbing today and schedule your service call!

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