Holiday Cooking Tips, What Can and Can’t Go Down the Disposal

The holiday season is among us and that means things may start getting a bit hectic – especially if it’s your turn to host this year. From shopping for gifts to getting the house clean there’s lots on your plate and we didn’t even mention food prep yet. With all of these things on your mind, it can be easy to forget about which foods can and cannot go down the garbage disposal so we’re taking a few minutes to remind you. Trust us when we tell you it’s worth a quick read – it can save you lots of money on costly repairs in the near future:

1. Vegetable peels and skins: peeling potatoes for a large portion of buttery, garlic mashed potatoes? Cutting carrots and celery for your appetizer platter? You’re off to a wonderful start. Just remember the scraps from these items should never be put down the disposal. They can wrap around the blades and cause a jam.
2. Grease: no matter what you’ve got on the menu for the holidays we’re going to bet there’s something greasy, or that must be cooked in oil. You may have heard that it’s OK to toss grease or oil down the disposal as long as you run hot water at the same time. This is NOT the case – as grease cools it hardens and can cause major problems inside the pipes. Wait for it to cool and throw it in the trash instead.
3. Meat scraps and bones: similar to the veggies, meat can contain bones which can splinter and get stuck if they come in contact with the disposal’s sharp teeth. Avoid throwing meat and meat parts down the disposal altogether; stick to the garbage can instead.
4. Non-food items: believe it or not, homeowners often throw a number of non-food items down the disposal as well. Wooden matches, cigarettes, rubber bands and twist ties should all be kept out of the disposal under all circumstances.

Should you find yourself in a predicament revolving around your garbage disposal this holiday season, you can always count on the experts at ABC Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, Cooling and Electric to get you of a jam.