Stop Screwing Up Your Garbage Disposal with These Simple Do’s and Don’ts
Here’s what you can and can’t put down it
A good garbage disposal is a girl’s best friend…until it clogs and starts shooting smelly broccoli stalks up into the air. Save yourself a call to the plumber by sticking to these cardinal rules.
No Way, Jose
1. Celery: Those strings tend to tangle.
2. Bones: The suckers will go round and round, jamming up the grinding wheel. Even if they do make it through, they won't go down the drain.
3. Fruit Pits: Ever try to chop an avocado pit? Yeah, it’s not easy.
4. Grease: You could run cold water while you pour grease down the drain. But then it will probably congeal in horizontal pipes and cause a clog, anyway. To be safe, just put it in the trash.
Totally Fine
1. Potato Skins: The leftovers from that scrumptious side of creamy mashed potatoes or potatoes au gratin are A-OK.
2. Carrots: Just make sure they're chopped into slivers before you give them the heave-ho.
3. Eggshells: In fact, they help to sharpen your grinder blades.
4. Coffee Grounds: Keep it to small amounts (no more than a few tablespoons at a time) to avoid choking your pipes.
5. Fruit Scraps and Rinds: Bits of grapes, oranges and more will go down easy and can even help keep things fresh.