Where do you go when you have a taboo topic you need to discuss? Eyman knows that some plumbing problems are a four-letter word, but we’re not afraid to give you the down and dirty!
If you find yourself wishing you could just wash your problems down the drain, Eyman wants to make sure you do it safely!
Can my disposal handle that?
Believe it or not, there are things that those stainless-steel blades in your sink cannot compete with. Items we find commonly stopping up, wearing out, or clogging garbage disposals include:
- Banana peels
Due to the size and integrity of the peel, it will only get wrapped around the blade. Banana peels do poorly in compost bins for the same reason. Because of how long the peel and stem take to decompose, these are best thrown in the garbage - Potato skins and celery strings
Celery strings tangle in the blade, wearing out the motor. Even if the strings manage to bypass the blade, they will bind with other undissolved solids and create a nightmare of a clog down the line. Potato skins are tough, gummy, and full of starch. Your disposal will grind down its motor before it gets through the skin of a hot potato
- Egg shells
Aside from the danger of shell shards shooting back out at you, these fine particles actually dull the blade, while minerals in the shell cause buildup in your disposal and drain - Plastic straws
These do not decompose and should be kept out of your drains entirely, but will also tangle and cause havoc in your disposal - Dish-scrubber fragments and shreds
Mesh, stainless steel, and plastic scrub brushes and pads should be disposed of in the trash, and replaced at the first signs of wear and tear to prevent the spread of mildew, germs, and damage to your disposal - Bones
While your disposal will happily crush a finger, it isn’t actually designed to do away with your drumstick from dinner. Do your best to scrape leftovers into Tupperware or the trash before rinsing - Paper products
While they break down quickly under the weight of mom’s spaghetti, paper products will not actually dissolve in water. Please keep them out of your sink! - Stones, seeds, and pits
Peaches, plumbs, avocados, popcorn, and papaya are all wonderful for you to munch, but for your disposal, the pit is just too much - Grease, oil, and fat
When fats [bacon grease, butter, olive oil, etc] are hot, they are liquid. This makes pouring them down the drain a no-brainer! But as they cool, they harden. This causes a blockage further down the drain, making it even harder to address. If you have accidentally spilled fat down your drain, your first instinct will be to pour hot water down. STOP! This only flushes the blockage further down. Instead, run cold water and your disposal. Add a grease-fighting detergent to the drain, and continue to run the water for a full minute after you’ve stopped the disposal - Coffee grounds
This one is surprising to most people, but your disposal was not designed to handle the grit. Much like eggshells, this is better disposed of in your compost bin or trash
Do you want to know if an item is disposal-safe? Drop a comment below!