11 Items You Should Never Put in Your Garbage Disposal

Understand the dos and don'ts of using your disposal.

Garbage disposals are essential tools that make kitchen cleanup quick and easy. If you have one, you know how convenient it is to toss food scraps in with the press of a button. However, many of us treat them like trash bins, which can lead to serious plumbing issues. Avoid unnecessary repairs and headaches by following these tips on what to never place in your disposal.

1. Coffee Grounds

Don’t be deceived by coffee grounds. While they may seem finely ground, they’re actually quite dense and almost paste-like when taken from the filter. Tossing them into your garbage disposal can create a messy buildup of sludge in your pipes, leading to stubborn clogs.

2. Pasta, Rice, and Bread

What do pasta, rice, and bread all share in common? They soak up water and expand, which can easily block your drain. While a small amount of leftover pasta might not hurt, avoid regularly putting these foods down the disposal. If you do run them through, be sure to flush with cold water for at least 30 seconds to prevent them from swelling and causing a clog. This also applies to oats and other absorbent grains.

3. Animal Bones

While it may be hard to admit, your garbage disposal isn’t invincible. It wasn’t designed to handle extremely hard items. Bones, for example, are one of the toughest materials in nature, and they can significantly reduce the lifespan of your disposal. Don’t worry if you accidentally drop a small chicken or fish bone down the drain—it can handle that. However, anything larger will simply spin around and damage the grinding components.

4. Nuts and Shells

Much like bones, nuts and their shells (including seafood shells) can cause serious harm to your garbage disposal. Even softer nuts like peanuts aren’t safe. Your disposal acts a bit like a nut grinder, but instead of a nice crunchy snack, it turns peanuts into a sticky paste. While not exactly peanut butter, it’s thick enough to cause serious clogs in your drain.

5. Pits and Seeds

If it’s something you can’t easily cut with a knife, it’s best to avoid putting it down your disposal. Pits and seeds are often small, round, and difficult to break down. Not to mention the awful noise they make bouncing around in the disposal. Skip the hassle and toss them in the trash instead.

6. Onion Layers

While chopped onions are fine for your garbage disposal, it's the outer layers you should be cautious of. The thin membrane beneath the dry skin can slip through the disposal, bypassing the blades completely or wrapping around them. It can also get lodged in the drain, creating a trap that catches other debris.

7. Egg Shells

Many people believe that egg shells help sharpen the 'blades' of your garbage disposal, but that's a myth. Garbage disposals don’t have blades—they use impellers, which are blunt and designed to grind waste, not chop it. And just like you wouldn't use egg shells to sharpen your kitchen knives, they won’t help your disposal either. In fact, the membranes inside egg shells can get tangled around the impeller, causing all sorts of issues for your appliance.

8. Fibrous or Stringy Fruits and Vegetables

Many fruits and vegetables contain fibrous fibers that can get tangled around your disposal’s grinder. Items like celery, asparagus, banana peels, corn husks, and rhubarb are best discarded in the trash instead of the disposal. A small amount here and there might not cause trouble, but to keep your appliance in good condition, it's better to avoid putting them down the drain.

9. Potato Peels

When you put potato peels in the disposal, two things could happen: 1) the peels may be thin enough to pass through but might get caught in the drain, or 2) they could be ground into a starchy paste, which can clog your pipes if it makes its way downstream. The same issue can occur with other starchy vegetables or beans.

10. Grease, Oil, and Fat

Grease, oil, and fats may seem liquid at first, but they solidify as they cool, which can create major blockages in your drain. To avoid this, let these substances cool and dispose of them in the trash instead of pouring them down the disposal.

11. Non-Food Items

The term 'garbage' disposal can be misleading. It doesn’t mean you should treat your disposal like a trash can. Non-food items such as paper towels, plastic wrappers, or tissues can cause serious issues with your drainage system. These materials can also spread through the pipes and contaminate the local water supply. If it's not biodegradable, it shouldn't go down the disposal.