Avoid Putting these things in your Food Disposer

Ever since the early forties, food disposers have been built into household sinks, and restrictions on them have been put into place to avoid too much difficult-to-break-down food waste from entering sewage systems. Today, the restrictions that have been maintained relate only to what kind of food shouldn’t go through these devices, and it’s important to review that list.

Animal bones and the grease that results from cooking meat should never be put in a food disposer. The grease will harden and build up until your drain is clogged, and the bones will shatter into large chunks that can’t fit through the device’s openings, jamming up the system.

 Keep egg shells out of your food disposer for the same reasons as bones and grease. Most animal products cannot be handled by a food disposer without running the risk of blocking the drain or halting the grinding function.

Rice and pasta may seem okay for a food disposer, but they absorb liquid and hold onto it until it completely evaporates. Both materials will enlarge, break apart into small pieces, and stick to your drain, eventually clogging it. Vegetables with a stringy consistency or a hard peel should also be avoided to prevent the buildup of tough food materials.

If you have a food disposer, put in a small to medium amount of food through each time you use it, as too much at one time can overwhelm the system. If you’re considering installing a food disposer, keep in mind that dealing with food waste is hard for garbage companies and that most organic matter can be composted as an environmentally friendly alternative. Those with septic systems should not install food disposers at any time, as the waste they create can throw off the bacterial breakdown of waste in the tank.

Avoid installing a food disposer or consider removing the one you currently have to stop worrying about what should and shouldn’t be put in it, and to be a little kinder to the earth.