Your kitchen sink’s trusty sidekick, the garbage disposal, is a workhorse when it comes to handling food waste. But not everything is fair game for this handy appliance. To keep your disposal humming smoothly and prevent costly plumbing mishaps, here’s a list of items you should avoid sending down the drain:

Coffee Grounds

Despite the myth that coffee grounds are good for your plumbing system, they’re actually one of the worst things you can put down the drain. They form into a sludgy mess and can block your pipes. Instead, consider composting them to put their nutrients to good use.

Potato Peels

These seemingly harmless peels can create a sticky, gluey mess that leads to plumbing blockages. As they pass through the disposal blades and into the pipes, they become waterlogged and break down into a viscous liquid. Opt for composting or tossing them in the garbage bin.

Fibrous Vegetables

While most produce is safe to dispose of, certain fibrous veggies like celery, rhubarb, chard, kale, and asparagus can tangle up the blades and cause malfunctions. Also, ensure all stickers are removed from fruit and veggie peels to prevent blockages.

Starchy Foods

Pasta, rice, oats, and beans expand with water and can gum up your disposal’s innards or coat the blades, making them less effective. Dispose of these items in the garbage.

Grease and Fats

Oils, butter, poultry skin, and bacon grease may slip down your disposal easily, but they solidify and stick in your pipes over time. This can lead to serious plumbing issues. Instead, let them cool and dispose of them in the trash.

Onion Skins

Thin, papery onion skins can wrap around the blades, causing blockages. Dispose of both in the trash or compost them.

Egg Shells

The membrane on the inner surface of the eggshell can entangle the impeller, hindering its proper function. Additionally, once fractured into tiny fragments, eggshells are challenging to flush out, causing clogs in the disposal system or adhering to sludge in the pipes and creating backups in plumbing.

Nuts and Seeds

Hard nuts like walnuts or almonds can damage the blades or get stuck in the pipes. Even softer nuts, like peanuts or cashews, can grind into a nut butter, creating a blockage. Toss them in the trash or use them for compost.

Bones

While small fish bones might be okay, larger bones from meat or poultry can wreak havoc on your disposal. Dispose of them in the garbage.

Stringy Foods

Items like corn husks and artichoke leaves can wrap around the blades and cause blockages. Compost or discard them properly.

Fruit Pits

Peach, avocado, olive and cherry pits are too hard for your disposal. Throw them in the trash.

Remember, a well-maintained garbage disposal is a happy one. Treat it kindly, and it’ll keep your kitchen running smoothly!