Yes, you read that right. We’re here to tell you how to ruin your garbage disposal, but not because we actually want you to. While we love helping our customers fix their plumbing problems, we’re cluing you in on these five items that can easily break your disposal so you can be sure it doesn’t happen on your watch!
- Glass Shards: We don’t think most folks are trying to crush glass in their disposal on purpose, but let’s face it — it can happen. You’re moving fast and feverishly cleaning dishes, when.. WHOOPS! Something breaks and down into the disposal the pieces go. If this does happen. A wet/dry vacuum is key.
- Chicken Bones: If chicken wings were on tonight’s dinner metal, it’s best to make sure all bones are removed from the plate before scraping those scraps down the disposal. Since bones can be small, we suggest doing yourself a favor and trashing leftover bone-in chicken entirely.
- Tough Fruits & Veggies: Some fruits and veggies have particularly thick skins that can clog and overheat your disposal. Veggies like carrots and potatoes can be hard to grind down, and any fibrous foods (looking at you celery!) should be avoided as well.
- Cooking Oil & Fats: Don’t you dare pour that leftover oil down the drain! We know it’s tempting, but considering it will harden and clog your plumbing, it’s definitely not worth the momentary convenience. (Check out our recent blog post for alternatives to disposing used cooking oil.)
- Forks, Knives & Spoons (Oh my!): It’s self explanatory, but easy to do accidentally. Always check your drain for sneaky utensils before flipping on the disposal. The same goes for sponges and other small items that may be in your sink.
Try as you might to avoid these hazards, there may still come a time where you need garbage disposal installation or repair services. Fortunately, our plumbing experts are available 24/7/365 to come have a look. Serving all of Anaheim and the surrounding areas, there’s no broken disposal the team at Barker and Sons Plumbing & Rooter can’t fix!
For more information about how we can help you maintain your current garbage disposal, or install a brand new one, dial 714-30-8766.
