In 1927, John W. Hammes changed the sink forever. He invented the garbage disposal. He applied for the patent and his disposal was on the market in 1940. Garbage disposal units have been making kitchen clean up easier and less smelly for years. When the disposal grinds up foods, it allows the food to flow through the sewage pipes with ease, where it is recycled as clean water and fertilizer. We often believe the garbage disposal can handle anything. You know that isn’t the case if a spoon or a piece of glass has made its way into your disposal. You might also be surprised at what food items should not go into your garbage disposal.
What you should NOT put down your disposal:
- Grease or oil: When grease or oil cools it will solidify and build up your pipes causing clogging.
- Egg Shells: Egg shells have a membrane on the side on the shell that can wrap around the blades of your garbage disposal. This can cause foul odors and affect the efficiency of the unit.
- Fibrous foods: Artichokes, asparagus, celery, chard, kale, lettuce, potato peelings, and onion skins can get entangled in the blades causing them to jam.
- Pasta, rice, potatoes, and beans: Foods that swell in water will get a paste-like consistency which will eventually build up causing a clog.
- Coffee Grounds: They can get caught in drain trap.
- Bones: Even the best garbage disposals cannot handle bones. The bones will end up getting caught in the disposal.
- Seeds and Fruit Pits: These items are solid and will only rattle around your disposal causing damage.
- Large amounts of food: Don’t over exert your disposal. Put in small amounts of food at a time.
