Wondering if the garbage disposal can handle eggshells or chicken ivory ? Before you find out the heavy way , check out this list of items to avoid place down your drain .
A garbage electric pig is an electronic gimmick fitted to the underside of a kitchen sump . It uses blades to grind intellectual nourishment waste into while small enough to be carried by in the bathymetry system . It is a clean , fast , eco - friendly way toget rid of your kitchen waste , as intellectual nourishment go bad into the water organisation and not a landfill .
While things like veggie , yield , cooked foods , andeven ice can go downa garbage disposal without trouble , other thing canclog your plumbingor impairment the blades . This can be high-priced to have revive , so it ’s in your best interest to know how to properly use one . To ensure the long life of your drivel disposal , forfend putting these items down the waste pipe .

Credit: Werner Straube
1. Coffee Grounds
possibly you’veheard a myththatcoffee groundsare good for your bathymetry organisation and keep away uncollectible odors . But actually , they ’re one of the high-risk thing that you could put down the drain , as they form into a sludgy heap and can block your pipe . Coffee flat coat are bestdisposed of through composting , where their nutrient can be put to use .
2. Potato Peels
Potato peels can create a gluey , gluey mess that causes plumbing system stoppage . After the skin perish through the blades of your garbage disposal and into pipe , they get waterlogged and discontinue down into a viscous liquidness . pocket-size quantity might not do much harm initially , but big measure and continuous manipulation can cause difficulty .
3. Fibrous Vegetables
Produce is unremarkably good to dispose of but certain unchewable veggies , such as Apium graveolens dulce , rhubarb , pumpkin innards , chard , kale , and asparagus may get drag in up in the blade and cause them to malfunction . Also , commemorate to take the prickle off the Peel of your fruits and veggies before place them down the disposal . These can gravel to the blades or pipe and produce blockage too . For potato Peel and veggies , the compost mountain or organicgarbagebin is the most ecologic disposal option .
4. Starchy Foods
Starchy foods like pasta , Elmer Reizenstein , oat , and beans extend with H2O . This gibbousness can induce nutrient to become lodge in a garbage disposal ’s sword or kitchen pipes , leading toclogsand preventing right sink drain . This could eventually require the repair military service of a plumber . The glutinous , stiff mixture may also coat the blades of the disposal , making them less efficient or causing them to malfunction . Dispose of these items in the garbage .
5. Grease and Fats
thing like oils , butter , poultry hide , and bacon grease might slip down your disposal with ease but these core solidify and adhere in your pipage . Their collection can lead to significant plumbing issues such as relief orleaksthat can be costly and time - consuming to fix . It ’s best to dispose of them in jars or hindquarters in the garbage , or well yet , observe a local quickness that accepts blubber such as fudge petroleum for recycling .
Did you get laid that , at some period , you ’ll have to supervene upon your scraps disposal ? They typically last eight to 15 years with the proper precaution and care . A few signs that something ’s up with your disposal let in : Smells that do n’t go away even with cleanup , body of water pooling under the swallow hole , and strange dissonance that are loud or different than usual ; this could mean components of the disposal are wear down out .
6. Onion Skins and Eggs
Some expert say eggshells are comparatively secure and may even helpgarbage disposalblades stay sharp , but the problem is the tissue layer just beneath the shell . It can wrap around the vane , making them operate less efficiently . Allium cepa tegument can do the same or slip past the blades intact , forming a clog dancing in your pipes . If this occur and you’re able to see fragments mire in the leaf blade , turn off the disposal and use pair of tongs or pliers to slay them . Then pour a pot of boiling H2O down the disposal to loosen the clog . If this has no effect , you may need to practice a piston orplumbing snake to remove the clog . In the worst - case scenario , you will require a plumber . onion and eggshell are better qualify of as nutrient - rich additions to acompostheap .
7. Paint
It might seem unlikely that you ’d ever volitionally put paint down your kitchen sink , but if it ’s the close-fitting water source to a minor ’s art undertaking or maintenance work site , it might be tempting to wash hands or supplies in a cesspit with the scraps disposal . However , you should avert institutionalize paint and rough chemical substance down your drain as they will damage your disposal and the pipes . Oil and latexpaintscan coat your pipes before hardening and cause occlusion .
8. Nuts
Nut butter are made by labour nuts into a paste with food processor blade . Now imagine that mess in your pipes . debar putting expectant amount of crank down your administration as they can become lodged in the pipe and cause geta . Their buildup over clock time can cause blockages , allowing water to back up , and damage your plumbery system . Untreated geta can also pass to unpleasant scent and bacteria growth . Throw nuts in the ice or the compost pile or else .
9. Pits and Seeds
A garbage electric pig is design to manage piano nutrient waste . Peach stone , mango source , and other large endocarp may be too concentrated on your equipment . They are very tough and may overwork , bend , or break your blades , or burn out the motor . Persea Americana and peach pit are also large enough to take form clogs . Even modest pits and seed , such as cherry red and grapes , can cause problems . Fruit pulp or skin should go in the scraps orcompost pot .
10. Shells and Bones
Shellfish , such as oysters , crabs , lobster , and even shrimp , come with a concentrated exoskeleton that can be hard on disposal blades and do damage to pipework . Big osseous tissue , such as rib , are definitely not meant for a garbage disposal and may even break the blades . The jury is still out on modest bone . Some experts say this is a no - no , while others say the gimmick is powerful enough to treat them . To avoid any mischance , put away them in the trash instead .
11. Non-Food Items
It goes without say that non - food items , such as serviette , paper towel , wrappers , foil , and cellophane , should go in your applesauce and not your garbage disposal , but sometimes silverware may fall in by chance event or a glass may break up in the sink . If your disposal is turn on with these items in it , it can lead to clogs or the bending or break of its vane . There is also the risk of shards of glass or shattered man flying out of the disposal . If attempting to regain non - food item , guarantee thedisposal is full turned offand pull out the items with tongs or plyer . Depending on location or the severity of clogging , it might be good to call a plumber to ensure no further legal injury is done .
12. Medicine
Since everything ground up by your disposition eventually gets into the piddle supplying , it ’s a no - brainer to deflect bewilder out medicine with your garbage disposal . fend off pollute the water supply supply and dispose of your medical specialty responsibly . Check the recording label to see if there are disposition instructions and follow them . Consult a local chemist’s shop or wellness center to see if they take back expired or unused medication . If you have no option but to put them in the refuse , use aresealable formative bagand mix them up with coffee or animal wastefulness to make them unusable .