Your garbage disposal can be a quite helpful piece of machinery when it comes to getting the dishes done. However, it’s not made to process everything, and you may break it if you let the wrong foods go down the drain. Here, the plumbers from St. Paul, MN’s Do It Right Plumbing Sewer & Drain Services have shared five types of food that should never go down the garbage disposal.

Plumbers Share 5 Items to Keep Out of Your Garbage Disposal

1. Bones & Eggshells

Both of these common kitchen cooking remnants are simply too hard for your garbage disposal to manage. Bones can jam up the rotor, and removing them is dangerous and can result in costly repairs. Eggshells just make a mess and will smell after a while. They should both be avoided.

2. Starchy Items

That little bit of dried spaghetti you scrape off the pot and down the drain might do more harm than you think. Rice, pasta, and other starchy foods can adhere to the blades of your disposal and affect its chopping abilities.

3. Fibrous Veggies

Putting asparagus and celery in a garbage disposal is basically like putting string down your sink. The fibers spin around the rotor and can jam up the blades, preventing them from working properly. You’ll need a plumber to fix the damage. 

4. Small, Hard Items

Seeds and popcorn kernels should not be placed in the garbage disposal. Items this size are just too small and will become wedged in corners of the drain and cause the need for extra cleaning down the road.

5. Random Objects

From time to time, a fork, wooden spoon, or other miscellaneous item may find its way into the disposal while it’s in use. If it’s stopped quickly enough, most of the time, the item can be safely extracted without any damage to the mechanism. But if you notice your disposal making odd noises or not rotating after losing an object down the drain, call a plumber to check it out before using it again.

If you are in need of plumbing repairs or garbage disposal services in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, area, look no further than the team from Do It Right Plumbing Sewer & Drain Services. Their licensed staff is committed to doing the job right every time and providing the best service in the area. Visit them online or call (612) 388-8524 to schedule your appointment.