Stuff the Turkey, Not Your Drains: What Not to Put Down the Disposal

The holidays are a time for family, food, and plenty of dishes. While you’re busy cooking up a feast, it’s easy to forget that your garbage disposal isn’t built to handle everything that comes off your plate. One wrong move, and suddenly you’re dealing with a clogged drain right when your kitchen is working the hardest. The good news? Avoiding a holiday plumbing disaster is simple once you know what doesn’t belong in the disposal.

1. Grease, Oils, and Fats

It’s one of the biggest culprits. After roasting a turkey, frying bacon, or cooking sides, there’s always grease left behind. Pouring it down the sink may seem quick and harmless, but don’t be fooled! Once it cools, it hardens into a sticky mess inside your pipes. Over time, that buildup narrows your drains until they clog completely.

Instead, let the grease cool in a can or jar. Once it solidifies, you can scrape it into the trash. A little extra effort here saves you from a plumber’s bill later. As much as we’d love to see you, we don’t think you’d feel the same way about us!

2. Starchy Foods

Mmm.. mashed potatoes, stuffing, pasta, and rice. These holiday favorites are delicious on your plate but a nightmare for your disposal. When starchy foods mix with water, they swell and turn into a thick paste. That paste sticks to the sides of your pipes and catches other debris along the way, quickly leading to blockages.

Your best bet is to scrape plates into the trash or compost bin before rinsing them. Keep the starch where it belongs – on your plate, not in your pipes.

3. Fibrous Vegetables

Celery, onion skins, corn husks, asparagus – all of these can tangle up your disposal blades. The long, stringy fibers don’t break down easily and can jam the motor, making it grind loudly or stop altogether. If you’ve ever had to fish out fibrous strands wrapped around the disposal, you know it’s not a holiday chore anyone wants.

Toss fibrous scraps in the trash or, better yet, compost them. Your garbage disposal will thank you.

4. Bones and Pits

It’s tempting to scrape everything off your carving board into the sink, but bones and pits are too hard for your disposal to handle. Turkey bones, chicken wings, and fruit pits can damage the blades or cause the motor to overheat. Not only can this break your disposal, but it could also send shards of bone rattling around your pipes.

Save yourself the headache and toss these in the trash instead.

5. Coffee Grounds

This one surprises a lot of people. Coffee grounds are small, so they seem harmless enough, right? But they clump together when wet and form a dense sludge that sticks inside your pipes. Over time, it builds up and slows down your drains.

If you want to reuse them, coffee grounds make excellent compost or even fertilizer for your garden. Either way, just keep them out of your sink.

A Few Safe Bets

Your disposal can handle small food scraps, softer leftovers, and cold water while running. Just remember, it’s meant for convenience. Not as a second trash can.

Contact Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling For All Your Garbage Disposal and Drain Needs in Peru, IN Today

Thanksgiving is stressful enough without dealing with a clogged kitchen sink. By keeping grease, starches, fibrous veggies, bones, and coffee grounds out of your disposal, you’ll keep your drains running smoothly and your kitchen cleanup a lot easier. Treat your disposal with care, and it’ll keep working for you long after the holiday leftovers are gone. And if you’re left with a drain that won’t drain, don’t worry. Just contact Summers in Peru, IN. We’re always here to help!