Your garbage disposal is a powerful appliance that efficiently crushes and disposes of food, but it can't handle everything. Putting the wrong items down the drain can damage the motor or cause other problems, including unpleasant odors. Here are five foods that shouldn't go in your garbage disposal.

Foods Never to Put Down the Drain

1. Rice & Pasta

At first glance, these may seem harmless because they're soft, but the problem is that they absorb water. Because they're starchy, sitting in water turns them into a sticky mess, which will then dry onto your pipes and garbage disposal blades. If enough pasta and rice grains stick to the blades, it can clog the system. 

2. Bones

Bones are too hard and strong for your garbage disposal to break easily. They can jam in between blades, blocking them and burning out the motor. To protect your appliance, throw them in the trash instead.

3. Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds don't dissolve in water, so when particles get stuck in the edges of your garbage disposal, they're difficult to wash out. They also emit a strong scent when they sit for too long. 

4. Eggshells

This is another food that breaks into small pieces that are difficult to clean out. But they're even worse than coffee grounds because the membrane inside an eggshell is sticky and can glue fragments to the walls of your pipes and garbage disposal, making it difficult to completely flush them out.

5. Grease

Bacon grease, hamburger fat, and cooking oil harden when they get too cold. They can form impassable clogs inside your pipes, which take a professional to remove. Instead of pouring it down the sink, let hot grease cool and then put it in the garbage.

If your garbage disposal or other appliances need repair, choose Honest & Fair Appliance Repair in Orange County, NY. For 40 years, this repair service has lived up to its name with fast, reliable, reasonably-priced services including fridge, washer, and stove repair. To make an appointment with this family-owned company, call (845) 782-0460. Visit their website to browse their services.