If your Marietta rental home has a garbage disposal, you will understand that it is among the hardest-working appliances in the kitchen. Then again that in no way means that it can handle all types of “garbage.” Allowing that most garbage disposals handle a lot of food scraps with ease, there are many common items that you should never put in a garbage disposal. Doing so could certainly damage the disposal’s motor, blades, and more. To hinder expensive repairs and keep your garbage disposal working great, keep these items out of your kitchen sink.
- Coffee grounds. It would seem obvious that those coffee grounds would just slip right down your kitchen pipes, however, the truth of the matter is that they would build up in your pipes and create a nasty sludge. And trying to grind them up with the disposal won’t do your disposal blades any good, either.
- Eggshells. Not all of us believe that eggshells should stay out of the garbage disposal, yet they certainly could develop into a real complication. The shell’s thin membrane can get stuck around your disposal’s blades and cause the whole thing to fall apart. It’s okay to just toss your eggshells in the trash instead.
- Fruit seeds and pits. Small, hard objects should never be put down your garbage disposal. Fruit seeds and pits are definitely part of this category. Remember, if ever you can’t cut the seeds or pit with a knife, your garbage disposal won’t be able to grind it up, either.
- Popcorn kernels. Same as with fruit seeds, popcorn kernels are too hard for your disposal blades to grind. Those kernels will get stuck in your disposal’s machinery and can cause the whole thing to seize up. Getting them back out could be a serious nightmare on top of that.
- Bones and seafood shells. Very small bones and seafood shells can easily slip through the disposal without any trouble at all, but those larger ones can actually make a mess of your plumbing and your disposal unit. Most bones are too hard and dense for the disposal to break down. They will clog your pipes.
- Potato peels. It is really tempting to simply wash your potato peels down the drain and let your disposal try to chew them up. Then again potato peels are full of starch, which will cause them to clump together in a thick paste that might indeed clog your pipes. The same holds true for rice.
- Fibrous vegetables. Any type of vegetable that is stringy must be placed at all times away from your garbage disposal. Celery, pumpkin, lettuce, artichokes, and asparagus can all get wrapped around your disposal’s blades. This could possibly bring on expensive plumbing repairs.
- Nuts. In a lot of ways, your garbage disposal blades are a lot like a blender. All and anything you put down there will get ground up. When you grind nuts, the end product is nut butter, which is sticky and not at all good for your disposal or your pipes. It would stick to the walls of your pipes and the inside of your disposal, creating clogs and other problems and issues.
Other than these eight items, an ideal fundamental principle for prolonging the life and keeping your garbage disposal working properly is if you wouldn’t dump it down the drain, don’t put it in the disposal. By determining what you shouldn’t put in a garbage disposal, you actually avoid unnecessary maintenance calls and repairs. Your landlord will love you for it!
If you are, at present, looking for a rental home or are seeking much-needed help managing your Marietta rental property, contact Real Property Management East Cobb at 770-622-5657 to discuss with a seasoned Marietta property manager today!
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