Summer Foods to Keep Out of Your Garbage Disposal

After missing most of last summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all ready to make the most out of this one. Barbecues, cookouts, picnics—outdoor (and even indoor!) get-togethers, here we come. Of course, you can’t have any of those events without food. Just remember, when you start cooking up a storm for your next summer party, there are some foods that should never go down the kitchen sink. Read on to learn about the summer foods to keep out of your garbage disposal, and remember that for all of your kitchen and general plumbing needs, you can count on our experts at All Pro Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical.

5 Foods to Keep Away from Your Garbage Disposal This Summer

1. Watermelon Rinds: Watermelon may be a sweet treat that children and adults can enjoy in the summertime, but when you are finished with the juicy flesh, always throw out the hard rind. While the flesh itself is easy for your garbage disposal to break down, watermelon rinds are too hard for your impeller blades to tolerate, and you may be forced to call for a repair if you decide to get rid of rinds this way.
2. Corn Cobs/Husks: Another delicious summer snack, corn cobs are right up there with watermelon rinds in terms of leftovers that are simply too tough for your impeller to break down. And not only that, corn is a stringy, fibrous vegetable, meaning that it is easy for the husks to get wrapped around the blades, or stuck deeper in your line.
3. Other Fruit/Vegetable Scraps: While watermelon rinds and corn cobs may be particularly difficult for garbage disposals to break down, it is usually better to keep fruit and vegetables out of your disposal altogether, just to be safe. In addition to corn, there are a number of other fibrous vegetables that are not good for your garbage disposal. Onions, for instance, have a membrane under the skin can that can pass through the disposal, missing the blades or wrapping around the impeller, or even getting trapped in the drain and acting as a net for other food items. Celery, asparagus, and rhubarb may not seem like items your disposal can’t tolerate, but that stringy quality makes them too much of a risk. And then there are items like banana peels and lemon/lime rinds, which are tough for your impeller to break apart may contribute to clogs even when they do make it past the impeller. Bottom line: when putting together your next fruit or veggie platter, just throw the scraps in the trash after the party is over.
4. Seeds & Pits: It may not surprise you to learn that something like a peach or avocado pit can thoroughly destroy your garbage disposal’s impeller blades. However, what may not initially be as obvious is that smaller seeds can also cause problems for your disposal. Due to their small, round quality, pits and seeds can be hard to thoroughly grind up. Moreover, they can end up clinging to the walls of your drain line or adding to a building clog. So whether we’re talking about the seeds of that juicy watermelon or your average sunflower seeds snack, it should all go in the trash rather than the disposal.
5. Potato Peels: Potato peels are a problem for garbage disposals for several reasons. First, they are can be thin enough to slip past your garbage disposal blades entirely, and get stuck deeper down in the drain. Second, even when they are ground up, they can turn into a starchy paste in the garbage disposal, and heavy starches are one of the biggest problems for garbage disposals, as they can easily expand and create clogs in your pipes. That’s why when you’re making your grandma’s famous potato salad this summer, you should either use the peels in the dish, or just put them in the garbage.
6. Bones: Meat is a tough one when it comes to garbage disposals. On the one hand, a tender cut of meat is not usually hard for your garbage disposal to break apart. However, anytime bones get involved, you’ve got a potential problem on your hands. Larger bones can basically destroy your impeller, and even smaller ones that can be ground up can scratch your lines and create an obstruction. That’s why the bones from any meat items should be thrown away, along with the…
7. Grease: Grease, fats, and oils are pretty much ground zero for garbage disposal clogs. They easily create huge blockages, that harden and cause a ton of problems in your drain lines. So when you are grilling this summer, any grease that gets collected should always be placed in the garbage, not the garbage disposal. We know that waiting for grease to dry probably isn’t your favorite activity, but trust us, it’s better than paying for a huge plumbing repair!

Remember, the rule of garbage disposals is: when in doubt, throw it out! For garbage disposal problems or other plumbing issues you experience this summer, call All Pro Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical now at (909) 500-8193, or contact us online for information on available deals and specials!