What can and cannot be put in a garbage disposal?

What Goes Down Garbage Disposals

• Small amounts of leftover food from your plate
• Small potato pieces and peelings
• Carrot peelings
• Coffee grounds and tea bags (some say these are not OK)

What Does Not Go Down Garbage Disposals

• Anything that is not biodegradable food
• Anything combustible
• Plastic and metal
• Cigarettes and butts
• Bones from any animal
• Hamburger
• Bacon grease or other grease
• Egg shells
• Potato skins or large amounts of potato
• Corn cobs or husks, lettuce, asparagus and other fibrous fruits and vegetables
• Pasta and rice

More notes:

• Just remember, whatever you wash down the sink must make it to the road (city pipes). If it is doubtful that a peice of food will get that far without causing a back-up, don't wash it down your sink.

• Anytime you put anything in your disposal make sure you run water for about 30 seconds. This will make sure you get the longest life possible out of your disposal.

• Too much of anything is not good. For example, small amounts of potato peels might be okay, but if you put a lot, you're asking for a repair bill.

• This old stand-by is right on: "When it doubt, throw it out."

• Consider running ice cubes in the unit as a means of 'cleaning' the unit. The hard ice chips help knock down the scum layers that build up below the seal, and in the grinder wheel.

• An old plumber told me, "As little as possible -- that's why they make garbage cans."

• The only things that should go into a garbage disposal are things that are left over after you scrap your plate into the garbage can.

• I'm sorry to say I'm a plumber who hates garbage disposals. The real answer is that not much should go in them. The disposal will have a tough time with foods like pasta and rice-add to disposal slowly and run plenty of water. It will have a real tough time with slimey things like potato peels and won't do well at all with onion skins, sections of onion or stringy vegetables like asparagus.

• Whatever you do put in there always run water long enough to ensure that whatever food debris you have just deposited into your sink drain is washed along into a larger main drain pipe or your'll be calling me to come and snake your drain line.

• Anything that can grind easily. It isn't a good idea to put in broken carrots or tough things, but soft things that can grind and move through pipes (soft foods) are okay. Be careful of certain chemicals which claim to clean your garbage disposal, always read the labels.

First answer by ID3451680069. Last edit by Gary schmadeke. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 175 [recommend question]