Pumpkin and apple pie line the countertops, family and friends pile into the kitchen, and laughter fills the air—the holidays have arrived. With all this excitement, you might forget that your appliances are celebrating the holidays as well. The oven is on overdrive, the refrigerator has quickly become home to desserts and cold beverages, and the garbage disposal has been shoved full of discarded food. Though your appliances are helping you prepare for the holiday season, it’s important to remember they need some love and appreciation now and again.
Your garbage disposal takes the brunt of the work, eliminating uneaten food and scraps from meal preparation. At Nixco Plumbing, we make it our mission to ensure your disposal is working in perfect condition for all your seasonal festivities. This is why we have put together this list of foods that should and should not be placed in your garbage disposal and how our drain cleaning services can help.
Garbage Disposals & Your Convenience
Garbage disposals are a powerful kitchen tool that a majority of kitchens come equipped with, making it easy to clean up after meals and keep food scraps from getting into your plumbing. When solid foods are packed into the garbage disposal, they enter the grind chamber where they are chopped down into fine particles. By essentially liquifying the food, it’s able to easily pass through the plumbing.
Though garbage disposals have sharp blades and powerful horsepower, certain food and debris just can’t be processed properly—causing larger plumbing issues if not handled with care.
Thumbs Up Foods
A general rule for garbage disposals is that if you can feed it to a baby, you can put it down the appliance. Soft and liquid foods such as yogurts and soups are one of the most approved food items for a garbage disposal. In addition, you can include items such as the following:
- Citrus fruits
- Vegetables (chopped & without the peel)
- Ice cubes
- Yogurt
- Apple sauce
- Soup
- Fruits (without the pit or seeds)
When it comes to citrus fruits, the peels can go in the garbage disposal, but we advise you to cut them into small bite sized pieces. For an additional fresh smell from your disposal, you can place the peels into the freezer and once frozen, grind them through the appliance to release a fresh citrus scent throughout the kitchen.
Rejectable Garbage Disposal Foods
Be careful what items you’re putting in your garbage disposal, so as not to cause any future damage to not only the blades, but your plumbing. Starchy foods such as bread, pasta, and rice are a big no in regard to your kitchen plumbing pipes. These foods expand when they get wet, which can cause them to turn into a thick paste in your drain, blocking up the sink and the disposal's ability to properly eliminate waste.
Shells, nuts, and vegetable peels can dull the blades over time and eventually cause the garbage disposal to malfunction. Fibrous foods such as celery, lettuce, asparagus, and pumpkin can get tangled up inside the unit and jam it with their stringy material. Additionally, non-food items should never be placed inside the disposal. We know that accidents happen and a stray fork or napkin can slip into the unit, which is why it’s important to do a quick check before turning on the appliance.
Other items you should avoid putting in the garbage disposal include:
- Coffee grounds
- Meat
- Watermelon rinds
- Grease, oil, and cooking fat
- Cleaning chemicals
When the Garbage Disposal Calls it Quits
No matter how careful you are, all appliances eventually succumb to wear and tear. If you begin to notice your appliance making a strange grinding noise when turned on, not grinding at all, projecting a strange smell at all times, leaking water from the pipes below, or you’re frequently having to press the reset button, you may need to call in the professionals.
At Nixco Plumbing, we understand the ins and outs of garbage disposals and have seen everything from accidental toys falling in to tough foods attempting to make their way through the pipes. Regardless of the cause of your garbage disposal malfunction, the experts at Nixco Plumbing can provide you with drain cleaning services to help solve the issue.
Drain Cleaning Services
When you can’t seem to unclog your drains with household products, bring in the professionals from Nixco Plumbing to solve the issue. We will use a CCTV camera to inspect the inner workings of the drainage system to confirm the cause of your plumbing problems. Once a diagnosis has been made, we’ll unclog the drain with a drain snake and your kitchen pipes should be good as new.
Additionally, we will do a quick once-over of your garbage disposal to ensure any additional damage has not been done. Before you know it, you’ll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family without worrying about your plumbing calling it quits.
Protect Your Pipes this Holiday Season with Nixco Plumbing
We have been serving Mason, Cincinnati, and the surrounding Ohio areas since 1978. Our residential, commercial, and municipal plumbing experts are dedicated to providing our new and existing customers superior service with the highest level of quality. Keep your kitchen smelling fresh while you have company over and relieve your anxiety about clogging the pipes when you choose Nixco Plumbing for all your drain cleaning services. Contact us today for a kitchen plumbing inspection.