We are in the thick of the winter months and no one wants to leave the house and face those brutal winter temperatures outside, so cooking and ordering in is all anyone wants to do these days. But remember, not everything is edible for our kitchen sinks. Here’s a friendly reminder of items that you should not put down your garbage disposal. Following these rules will help ensure a healthy drain line and less backups:
- Grease or oil – Just because it is out of sight does not mean the garbage disposal “disposed” of it. Usually, the grease will solidify, and cause build up in your pipes.
- Vegetable peels – You might get away with it from time to time, but odds are, eventually this one will catch up with you – and leave you a soupy backfilled mess in your sink.
- Egg shells – Believe or not, the membrane on the inside of the egg can wrap around the blades and wreak havoc for your disposal.
- Coffee Grounds – These seem like they go down fine, but over time, the little grounds build up like sediment in the pipes and end up causing trouble.
- Pits or seeds – Think: peach pits, avocado pits, cherries, etc., which aren’t disposable. If you don’t swallow it, why should your sink have to?
- Bones – We hope this is an obvious one. Bones aren’t degradable in enough time to be put down the drain.
- Anything in bulk – Feed your disposal small meals, let it grind it up, then add more.
- Garbage – Again, if you don’t want to eat it, why should your sink have to?
- Rice and pasta – Every time you turn the water on, the pasta and rice will continue to expand – even after your supposedly ground it up.
- Stringy veggies – Celery, corn husks, or even some types of lettuce can wrap around the blades, which then causes resistance to them.
We hope this helped you determine what belongs in your sink and what belongs in the trash. We understand it’s no fun dragging your trash out after dinner each night because it’s full of items that can’t go down the sink, but in the long run, it’s worth it to avoid backups in your pipes. Feel free to contact the leasing office with any questions you might have!