Charlotte Plumbers Beg You to Never Put These Things Down the Garbage Disposal!

We've all had this discussion before: "Is it okay to put this (vegetable peels, chicken bones, actual garbage) down the garbage disposal?" You debate back and forth, and finally your well-meaning friend or relative stuffs the item in question down the disposal and runs it. Maybe it causes a problem and you have to call a plumber, or maybe you get lucky this time, but in either case, you're left wondering what the real answer is.

As experienced plumbers, we've come up with a definitive list of things you can and cannot put down your garbage disposal (plus tips on how to keep your garbage disposal smelling good and blades sharp). We've compiled this list for you to share with those relatives of yours who say, "Oh, come on... surely you can put that down the disposal..."

Save Your Garbage Disposal! Never Put These Items Down the Disposal:

The following things will either clog up your pipes, get stuck on the edges and inside of your disposal or blades, or will jam up your disposal:

• Do not pour any grease of any sort down your drain. Wipe out the pan with paper towels or pour the grease into a can and dispose of it in the trash. Chasing grease with dish detergent is not enough to keep it from gunking up your pipes and garbage disposal. Not to mention the fact that rancid grease will start to smell bad if it lines your pipes. Not fun.
• Avoid letting vegetable peelings or fruit peels down your garbage disposal. Carrot, sweet potato, russet potato, cucumber, etc., etc. They will jam up your disposal and get stuck on the sides of your disposal or your pipes. There was a trend for a while of putting lemon or lime peels down the disposal to freshen your kitchen with that citrus smell, but actually, those will also get stuck in the disposal, so don't do it.
• Do not put meat, skin from meat, fat or bones down the disposal.
• Don't put rice, pasta, oatmeal or grits down the disposal; they'll clog up your pipes.
• Eggshells are a surprising no-no. They will also stick to the inside of your disposal.

Clean Your Disposal! Go Ahead and Put These Things Down Your Disposal:

The following things will either clean your disposal, deodorize your disposal or sharpen the blades:

• Baking soda and vinegar. We recommend a ratio of one cup baking soda to two cups white vinegar.
• Hot water and degreasing dish detergent. Always a winner!
• Ice cubes and cold water. Sharpens the blades! Just be sure to continuously run the cold water as you run the garbage disposal.

Proper Use of Your Garbage Disposal: Go Ahead and Let These Things Down the Disposal:

You can safely put down small amounts of food scraps (assuming you run water and the disposal while putting them down the drain), but it's best to use the disposal only for things that accidentally fall into the drain. Sure, there are some foods you can always put down the drain...things that will easily break up such as Popsicles, ice cream, coffee, cream, orange juice, milk with a few Cheerios in the bowl... sure! Go for it! But for most meals, you'll want to scrape scraps from plates into the trash and then rinse dishes in the sink, using the disposal for scraps small enough that they were missed when scraping.

Other Garbage Disposal Issues

In addition to garbage disposals breaking or jamming, and garbage disposals smelling awful, we often get the following concerns:

• My garbage disposal isn't turning on at all. Always check the electrical source. In many cases, the switch that controls the electricity to your garbage disposal is located next to the switch the controls the electricity to your dishwasher or a kitchen light. It's easy to accidentally turn it off and not realize you simply need to flip a switch.
• My garbage disposal is jammed. If you need to clean out a jammed garbage disposal, always turn off (and possibly even disconnect) the energy source before you try to clean it out. Use tools and not your hands to remove jammed materials. Never reach into a garbage disposal with your bare hands unless you are absolutely sure the power is disconnected.
• I want to install a garbage disposal. What sink basin adjustments should I make in order to install a garbage disposal? The following are instructions for installing a garbage disposal:

  After turning off the circuit breaker, place a bin or bucket beneath the P-trap as you disconnect the drainpipes and take out the sink strainer. There may be extra putty. Scrape this off.

  Apply putty around the flange of the new drain (designed to go with the garbage disposal) and press the new drain into place.

  Stack the fiber gasket, backup flange, and mounting ring, and then slip this stack onto the underside of the flange (underneath the kitchen sink). Pull open the snap ring and snap it into place, tightening the screws so they lay flush against the backup flange. Scrape off any excess putty.

  Complete the connection to the dishwasher drain using a hammer to remove the disposal drain plug from the inlet.

  Remove the wire cover plate and connect the electrical cord, matching the wire colors. Reattach the plate.

  Insert the gasket into the discharge outlet, and attach the discharge tube using the flange and bolts.

  Finally, hang the disposal by aligning the three tabs with the mounting ring. using a wrench, turn and lock the tabs over the ridges, and then connect the dishwasher drain. Align the discharge pipe  and connect your drainpipes using a T-pipe. Then turn on the power and test your garbage disposal using water and watching for leaks.

Garbage Disposal Broken? Need a Charlotte Plumber to Fix or Replace It?

Give us a call at 704-269-1066 or use our online contact form. We're open 24/7, 365 days a years, and we never charge extra for weekends, evenings or holidays. We are open on Thanksgiving and other holidays that often result in garbage disposal problems, and we are always happy to help you with your plumbing issues. Just let us know what you need done!

Didn't find the information you need? Check out our Kitchen Plumbing Services page or Ask Dave advice column where you can post a specific question and get an answer from Dave, our owner and master plumber.

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: What can I put down the garbage disposal? Are there things I cannot put down my garbage disposal?

Yes! You should not put the following down your garbage disposal:

• Grease
• Vegetable peelings or fruit peels
• Meat, skin from meat, fat, or bones 
• Rice, pasta, oatmeal, or grits
• Eggshells

However, you can put baking soda and vinegar, hot water and degreasing dish detergent, and ice cubes and cold water down the disposal.