Summer Cookouts and Your Garbage Disposal
Summer is a great time for cookouts, family meals, and backyard gatherings.
But after the food is gone, your kitchen sink may be left with the mess.
Your garbage disposal can handle some small food scraps, but it is not made for everything. Putting the wrong items down the disposal can lead to clogs, bad smells, and plumbing problems.
Grease Should Never Go Down the Drain
Grease may look like liquid when it is hot, but it can harden as it cools.
When grease sticks inside your pipes, it can trap food and other waste. Over time, this can create a clog.
After cooking, pour grease into a container, let it cool, and throw it in the trash.
Corn Husks and Fibrous Foods Can Jam the Disposal
Some foods are too tough or stringy for the garbage disposal.
These include:
Corn husks
Celery
Onion skins
Banana peels
Asparagus
Artichokes
These foods can wrap around the disposal blades or clog the drain.
Bones and Fruit Pits Are Too Hard
Bones, peach pits, avocado pits, and other hard items should not go into the disposal.
They can damage the disposal or get stuck.
A garbage disposal is helpful, but it is not a food crusher for hard waste.
Potato Peels Can Create a Thick Mess
Potato peels may seem soft, but they can turn into a thick, starchy paste inside your drain.
That paste can build up and slow your drain down.
It is better to throw potato peels in the trash or compost.
Use Cold Water When Running the Disposal
When you do use the disposal, run cold water before, during, and after.
Cold water helps move food through the drain. It can also help keep grease from staying soft and sticky inside the pipes.
Final Thought
Your garbage disposal is useful, but it needs to be treated with care.
A few simple habits after summer cookouts can help prevent clogged drains and kitchen sink problems.
If your kitchen sink is draining slowly or your garbage disposal is not working right, Economy Plumbing is here to help homeowners in High Point and the surrounding area
