Summer is almost here, but before you fire up the grill this Memorial Day, remember that there’s a proper way to dispose of food waste when the party is over. While your garbage disposal is an effective way to get rid of light food scraps, you don’t want to let anyone near it on your 4th of July barbecue, in case they end up putting something in the sink that doesn’t belong there. Read on to learn more about the top foods to keep out of your garbage disposal this summer, and remember that for all your essential plumbing services, you can trust our experts at AAA Service Plumbing, Heating & Electric.
The Top Summertime Foods You Must Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal
- Watermelon Rinds: Watermelon rinds are among the most destructive kinds of foods for garbage disposals. While the pulp of the actual watermelon can be chopped apart easily, the rind is too tough for your garbage disposal to break up, and putting it down the sink drain is a great way to wreck the impeller blades. Bottom line: when you’re done eating that delicious watermelon, just throw the rind in the trash.
- Corn Cobs & Husks: Much like watermelon rinds, corn cobs are too hard for your garbage impeller to break apart. “But that doesn’t apply to the husk,” you may be thinking. While this is true, corn husks are extremely stringy, and any kind of fibrous food can get twisted around your impeller blades and stuck deeper down the line. That’s why for the efficiency of the entire unit, every part of your corn on the cob should be placed in the wastebasket.
- Fruit/Vegetable Scraps: You can kind of think of this one as an extension of the earlier two entries. Fruit scraps such as banana peels and lime wedges often contain peels that are too tough for your garbage disposal to break up. Meanwhile, many vegetables are fibrous enough where their remnants can easily get stuck around the impeller. On top of this, it also isn’t a good idea to put fruit in the garbage disposal because of…
- Pits & Seeds: Putting something like a peach pit in your garbage disposal is basically like tossing in a rock, so while peaches might be a delicious summer treat, they should go nowhere near your disposal. Meanwhile, seeds from watermelons, apples, and other fruits frequently make their way past the impeller blades and contribute to clogs in your drain. So while they might not damage your garbage disposal right away, they can sit in your line forever, and eventually reduce its efficiency.
- Cooked Meat/Bones: Most cooked meat is not only tough, it’s also extremely greasy, and nothing contributes to garbage disposal clogs more than meat fat and oils. Then there are the bones from the meat you’re eating, which can not only mess up your impeller blades, but scratch your drain line. So whether we’re talking about a big turkey bone or the scraps from little buffalo wings, pieces of a tasty cheeseburger, or a juicy steak, meat should as a rule of thumb be thrown in the garbage rather than the garbage disposal.
If you need to schedule garbage disposal repair or replacement this summer, call (303) 313-3333, or click here to request service online.
