A garbage disposal system can be a very useful thing to have in a kitchen. It is intended to grind up food scraps so that they are small enough to drain away into a sewer or septic tank, this, in turn, helps to reduce the amount of garbage the household produces which plays a part in lowering the amount of waste sent to landfills or waste treatment facilities.
So, can anything be placed in a garbage disposal unit? No, not at all. Much care should to be taken with regards to what can be put down there. There are a lot of items that can damage the garbage disposal system and, if your home uses a septic tank, they can cause issues there also. Nonfood items should never be placed down a garbage disposal unit. While you may think that seems like an obvious statement, it’s amazing how many nonfood items make their way into the sink, things like aluminum foil and beer bottle caps etc. can all do damage to the unit.
How about food items? Are there any foods that should not go down the garbage disposal? Yes. Anything hard that could damage the blades such as meat bones should not be placed into the unit. Even food items that are highly fibrous like corn husks and potato peels can be a problem and can clog up the garbage disposal system or drainage pipes. Other items that should not be put down there are grease, oil and chemicals. When the garbage disposal unit is turned on, make sure you have the water running also, in this way, food will move easier through piping. It’s not a bad idea to have the water running for a little while after you have shut off the garbage disposal also.
So, we can see the advantages to having a garbage disposal unit in a kitchen but, as is the case with all appliances, they should only be used for the purpose they are intended for which, in this case, is smaller food scraps.
So, can anything be placed in a garbage disposal unit? No, not at all. Much care should to be taken with regards to what can be put down there. There are a lot of items that can damage the garbage disposal system and, if your home uses a septic tank, they can cause issues there also. Nonfood items should never be placed down a garbage disposal unit. While you may think that seems like an obvious statement, it’s amazing how many nonfood items make their way into the sink, things like aluminum foil and beer bottle caps etc. can all do damage to the unit.
How about food items? Are there any foods that should not go down the garbage disposal? Yes. Anything hard that could damage the blades such as meat bones should not be placed into the unit. Even food items that are highly fibrous like corn husks and potato peels can be a problem and can clog up the garbage disposal system or drainage pipes. Other items that should not be put down there are grease, oil and chemicals. When the garbage disposal unit is turned on, make sure you have the water running also, in this way, food will move easier through piping. It’s not a bad idea to have the water running for a little while after you have shut off the garbage disposal also.
So, we can see the advantages to having a garbage disposal unit in a kitchen but, as is the case with all appliances, they should only be used for the purpose they are intended for which, in this case, is smaller food scraps.
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