If you plan to do a lot of cooking and hosting over the holidays, your garbage disposal will likely be utilized quite a bit. To prevent any plumbing issues or frustrating clogs, you’ll need to keep a few foods out of the sink. For an easy holiday season, follow the helpful guide below.  

Items to Keep Out of Your Garbage Disposal This Holiday Season

1. Rice & Pasta

Both rice and pasta expand when they’re submerged in water. And if they’re put down the drain, the constant exposure to water could cause them to become larger than normal. Eventually, this could lead to plumbing clogs and backups. 

2. Bones

If you plan to put out a beautiful turkey on your holiday table, you’ll have a lot of bones to deal with after the meal. However, throwing these pieces down the drain could dull the blades of your garbage disposal or clog the drain completely. Instead, simply put them in the trash. 

3. Fibrous Foods

Celery, potato peels, onion skins, lettuce, and other fibrous foods wrap around disposal blades and subsequently interfere with the motor. Potato peels are also doubly damaging because, like rice and pasta, they swell when they become wet.

4. Seeds & Fruit Pits

Seeds from holiday pumpkins and squash dishes, as well as any fruit pits, need to stay out of the garbage disposal. Both these items are too harsh on disposal blades and can cause serious damage to the entire plumbing unit.

5. Non-Food Items

Non-food items wrap around the blades, are too much to grind, and can cause the appliance to clog. Examples include rubber bands, fish bowl stones, pennies, twist ties, sponges, cigarette butts, and plant clippings.

In addition to keeping all these items out of the sink, you can help mitigate odors and improve the disposal’s functions by grinding citrus peels and ice, respectively. Lemon and lime peels freshen the appliance, while ice sharpens the blades.

If you require new garbage disposal installation or simply need plumbing services this holiday season, turn to the team at Miller Plumbing in Rush, NY. The two-person company provides the routine and emergency services you need to maintain a functional household, including sewer line cleaning, faucet repair, and water heater work. Call the Monroe County plumbers today at (585) 533-1404 to schedule an appointment, and visit their website for additional information on what they do.