Garbage disposals are a great feature for many homeowners. They offer a way to pulverize food bits so that they go down the drains without incident and are less likely to cause clogs and buildup. Of course, with that said, it’s also important to remember that these are designed to help with remnants of food, not entire meals. Shoving too much food down the disposal can result in clogs, worn-out motors, and dulled blades that don’t work as effectively as they could.

Then, there are some foods that should never go in the garbage disposal, whether it’s a small piece or a larger item. These are foods that can damage the blades, clog your pipes, and lead to unintentional wear and tear on the disposal system and your sink plumbing.

Some of the items that can’t be put into a garbage disposal are more obvious than others. Seafood shells, bones, and other hard items should not go down the disposal. This can cause potential damage, clogs, and other issues. This is probably obvious to most people. Here are four items that should never be put to the disposal.

1. Celery and other stringy/fibrous foods. The fibers in celery and similar foods (asparagus, onion peels, corn husks, etc.) can easily become tangled in the garbage disposal and may not get properly ground up for disposal.
2. Fruit rinds and peels. These are far too tough for the disposal blades to properly cut these types of rinds into disposable pieces. They can cause damage to the blades, create clogs, and more.
3. Grease and oil. You should never really put grease or oil down your drains, with or without garbage disposal. Once it cools, it can lead to buildup and clogs in the drain. It can also get caught up in the various parts of the disposal and cause problems with its functioning.
4. Pasta and rice. These foods turn very mushy when put through a garbage disposal and can cause serious clogs and other issues if not properly disposed of. A pasta backup can lead to serious clog removal needs and other issues and is not worth the trouble.

So, if you’re dealing with these foods, just throw them in the trash. If you have to worry about animals in the trash, try double-bagging things or keeping a separate bag for food waste inside until trash day. Whatever you do, don’t put any of these down the disposal or you could be asking for trouble. Make sure to contact Open Drains to learn more.