• Plumbing

  • Heating & Cooling

  • Sewer & Drain

  • Why Guaranteed

  • Home /
    • Home /
    • /
      a workger pulling tools out of a Guaranteed Plumbing van

      What Foods Not to Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

      Let’s face it, nobody wants to worry about garbage disposal repairs. Household garbage disposals are typically installed underneath kitchen sinks to act as secondary food waste disposers for food scraps that enter the drain.

      In most cases, it is safe to put foods like vegetable peels, fruit cores, and even small bones into the disposal for grinding. 

      Homeowners should know that while garbage disposals are convenient for the disposal of some soft food waste, not all foods are safe to put down the household garbage disposal. 

      Guaranteed Plumbing and Heating discusses what foods not to put down your garbage disposal in the handy guide below. 

      Avoid Putting These Foods Into Your Garbage Disposal

      Even the highest quality household garbage disposals are designed to handle small, soft food scraps and soft bones. 

      When damaging food items with fibrous materials, greasy textures, or sludge from coffee grounds take over your system, the results can be jammed garbage disposal blades, a burnt-out motor, or thick clogs that require a professional to remove. 

      The following are just a few examples of potentially damaging foods that should not be put into your household garbage disposal. 

      Bacon Grease, Butter, Cooking Oils 

      Putting grease, oil, or fats down your garbage disposal can be a recipe for disaster when these oils and fats cool, harden, and create thick buildup in the plumbing system. 

      Coffee Grounds 

      Grounds from some of your favorite coffees can lead to sludge buildup and a non-working garbage disposal when these buildups become clogs over time. 

      Stringy Vegetables and Corn Husks 

      Fibrous and stringy foods like celery, asparagus, onion skins, artichokes, and corn husks can wrap around garbage disposal blades and jam the motor. 

      Unsuspecting homeowners attempting to use their disposals may be unaware of the jammed motor inside and create a more serious problem when they try to continue using the disposal without releasing the blades. 

      Fruit Pits and Hard Seeds 


      Pits from some of your favorite fruits, like peach pits, cherry pits, avocado pits, and even olive pits, can create serious problems in your household plumbing system if you try to force them down the garbage disposal. 


      These pits and hard seeds are too hard for most garbage disposals to grind and can cause immediate damage or disposal failure when placed into the system. 

      Non-Food Items 

      It should go without saying that non-food items like plastic, glass, metal, or even paper towels should not ever be put in the disposal. 

      These non-food items will almost certainly cause damage and wreak havoc with your plumbing system, which could lead to high out-of-pocket expenses for garbage disposal repair or replacement costs.

      Trust Guaranteed Plumbing and Heating for All Your Garbage Disposal Repair, Kitchen Plumbing Repair and Sink Clog Removal Needs

      Do you need garbage disposal repair in Philadelphia? Look no further than the kitchen plumbing repair and sink clog removal experts at Guaranteed Plumbing and Heating.

      If your garbage disposal appears to be on the fritz in Philadelphia, reach out to trusted local professionals who can provide an assessment of your situation and affordable repair or replacement solutions. 

      Contact us today to learn more about how to resolve issues with pesky clogs and get garbage disposal repair in Philadelphia before the holidays!