What can you put in a garbage disposal? 

When used properly, a garbage disposal makes kitchen cleanup more convenient and helps to reduce the amount of food waste in landfills. Specifically, this valuable appliance shreds food waste into small pieces, allowing it to easily pass through the plumbing system into the septic tank. Alternatively, the food waste can be drained into a sewage treatment plant, where it’s transformed into recyclable nutrients. 

However, despite its name, a garbage disposal cannot get rid of all types of ‘garbage’. Instead, some food waste items are well-suited for garbage disposal, while others are not. So, before you use your unit, it’s important to consider what you can put in a garbage disposal and what you should! 

Lucky for you, that is exactly what this blog post is all about! So, read on to determine what food items are safe to put in a garbage disposal, and which are NOT! 

What you can put in a garbage disposal 

• Cold running water 

It’s recommended to use cold water when the garbage disposal is running instead of hot water, running cold water in the garbage disposal for about 10 seconds before and after using the unit will help to carry food waste down the drain. Even better, this will help to prevent a clog or bad odor by ensuring food scraps don’t get stuck to the bottom of the garbage disposal. At the same time, cold water will carry unwanted fat and oils down the drain pipes. 

• Ice cubes 

One of the best ways to clean a garbage disposal is to run ice cubes in the unit from time to time. If possible, use ice cubes that are made from vinegar or lemon juice. This will help to remove the food residues stuck on the blades and freshen up the disposal unit to avoid unwanted odors. Also, you can combine the ice cubes with a safe deodorizer like white vinegar or baking soda. 

• Dish soap 

Disposing of dish soap down the garbage disposal helps to flush out grease build-up in the unit, allowing it to last longer and run better. In fact, this is another simple technique for cleaning your garbage disposal. Besides, you only need to pour some dish soap into the unit, run some cold water and you’re good to go. 

• Liquids and soft food 

As some plumbers say, if a toddler can chew, then it’s certainly good to go down a garbage disposal. This includes most liquid and soft foods. Also, you can dispose of some solid foods down the disposal, but you need to chop them up first accordingly. 

• Citrus rinds

Putting rinds from citrus fruits like oranges and lemons down a garbage disposer can serve 2 purposes. One, the citrus rinds break down the grease and gunk buildup inside the disposal. Secondly, the rinds will effectively cut down the foul smell and replace it with a fresh and nice fragrance. However, you need to ensure that you cut the citrus rinds into bite-size chunks to avoid overworking the disposer. 

• Cooked meat and small bones 

Most garbage disposals can easily break up leftover meat scraps from dinner when you are clearing off the dinner plates. Also, these units can grind up small fish and chicken bones without causing any problems. 

What you should NEVER put in a garbage disposal

• Leftover cooking fat & grease 

Garbage disposals can handle most liquids just fine. Unfortunately, grease and cooking fat solidify when they cool, clogging the unit and blocking the drain pipes. For that reason, you should not pour leftover grease and cooking fat down the garbage disposer. Instead, you should allow it to solidify first before putting it into the disposal or use it to make fat balls for birds by mixing it with lard and suet. 

• Banana Peels 

A banana can easily pass through the garbage disposal. However, banana peels are very fibrous and wrap around the grinding teeth of the disposal, causing it to jam. For that, you should NOT put banana peels in your garbage disposer. 

• Fibrous foods 

Fibrous foods like rhubarb, asparagus, lettuce, artichokes, and celery should not be put in a garbage disposal. This is because their fibrous nature can jam the blades of the disposal, causing it to clog. Instead, you should throw fibrous food leftovers onto a compost heat or into a compost bin. 

• Coffee grounds 

Although coffee grounds may seem like a reasonable item to put down in a garbage disposal, they don’t wash away completely. As a result, they accumulate in the grinding chamber over time, causing the drain to clog. 

For that, you should avoid putting coffee grounds in your food disposal. Instead, consider using the coffee grounds as a deterrent against snails or slugs in a vegetable garden or as a high-nitrogen plant fertilizer. 

• Eggshells 

The inside part of eggshells has a membrane that can wrap around blades in the disposal’s grinding chamber. This causes the shell to stick to the components and wrap around the blades of the garbage disposal, causing the unit to break down. 

So, while some people claim that eggshells help to sharpen the blades, it will cause more harm than good. Therefore, the best option is to use the eggshells in a compost pile or toss them away instead of putting them in a garbage disposal. 

• Pasta and Rice 

Both raw and uncooked rice and pasta expand when they come into contact with water. In addition, they become a sticky substance that can clog your drain and disposal. With that in mind, avoid putting expandable foods like pasta, rice, and other starches in your garbage disposal and put them in the trash instead. 

• Fruit Pits 

A garbage disposal cannot cut through fruit pits from peaches, avocados, and other fruits. Instead, you’ll probably end up damaging the disposal itself since these seeds are extremely hard. The same case applies to nuts and larger seeds as they’re tiny rocks. So, if you want your disposal to last longer, avoid putting these seeds and nuts into your unit. Instead, you should throw them directly into a trash can or compost pile. 

• Vegetable peels like potato peels and onion skins 

Thin peels from vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions are usually small enough to slide between the disposal grinders and fill up the drain pipes. Over time, this can form blockages that are difficult to get rid of. 

• Shells from seafood 

Various types of Seafood like shrimp, lobsters, crabs, and oysters have harder outer shells that are too dense to go through a garbage disposal. Instead, these items will create immovable blockages or damage the grinders in your garbage disposal, rendering it almost useless. Also, these shells can leave an unpleasant scent behind, creating foul smells in your kitchen. 

• Large bones 

Generally, bones are too strong and hard for the garbage disposal blades. For that, it’s safer to throw bones, especially the large ones, into the general trash instead of putting them in your food disposal unit. 

• General household trash 

Sometimes, garbage disposals are broken or clogged by general household trash like bags, wrappers, paper towels, and stickers from produce. Also, dishes and silverware can easily find their way into the disposal unit, especially when you’re doing the dishes in the sink. However, you should take the necessary precautions to ensure that these items and other non-food products do not find their way into your garbage disposal. 

• Harsh chemicals like bleach 

Most homeowners use harsh chemicals like bleach to clean their homes and unblock drains. Unfortunately, an excess amount of these solutions wear on your drain system and significantly reduce the lifespan of your garbage disposal. So, make sure you avoid cleaning products with harsh chemicals when cleaning your garbage disposal. Instead, consider using natural methods like ice cubes, baking soda, and vinegar or non-chemical cleaners like dish soap and commercial garbage disposal cleaners.