When you’re too lazy to scrape dirty dishes into the trash, putting all the food scraps down the sink feels like the perfect solution. However, the garbage disposal isn’t equipped to handle everything. Recently, a group of plumbers baffled the internet when they claimed that most people misuse this part of the sink. The team at Prime Plumbing in Baltimore Maryland went viral on TikTok after employees shared the items you should never put down the garbage disposal. Keep reading for their tips.
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What is the purpose of the garbage disposal?
Shutterstock/Snap HappyIn a separate TikTok video, a Prime Plumbing employee explains that your garbage disposal should only be used after you've already gotten as much food off your dishes as possible.
“It’s supposed to prevent from your drain lines clogging and prevent your food from building up, but you can't do that if you dump all your leftovers it it,” she explains.
While the Prime Plumbing team believes nothing should go down the garbage disposal, some items must always go in a trash can.
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1 | Eggshells
Shutterstock/Art_richIn response to a comment on Prime Plumbing’s original video, where someone wrote, “I was always told eggshells cleaned and sharpened blades lol,” the team was quick to dismiss that rumor.
This is because the shells create very tiny granular waste that will stick to any sludge in the pipe and quickly create a clog, according to Drano.
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2 | Rice or anything starchy
iStockPutting potato peels, bread, pasta, or rice down the drain is a big no-no, according to the plumbers, who explain that these foods are sticky, expand in pipes, and absorb water.
“If you put anything like this down your sink, it doesn’t matter if you have a garbage disposal or not, it’s going to potentially cause a clog,” says one employee.
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3 | Chicken bones
Funstock/ShutterstockUnsurprisingly, chicken bones are too dense and won’t fully break down in your garbage disposal.
According to Mitch Wright Plumbing, throwing chicken bones down the sink can dull or snap the blades on the garbage disposal, which will likely result in a pricey call to a professional.
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