Summer Produce & Your Garbage Disposal
Before You Send It Down The Drain, Be Sure It’s Disposal Safe!
Summer is in full swing here in Dallas, and that means trips to the Dallas Farmer’s Market for delicious summer produce. Whether you’re picking up watermelons for pool parties or corn on the cob for backyard barbecues, you’re all ready to enjoy a smorgasbord of summer deliciousness.
But what will you do with the leftovers and prep scraps? If you have a garbage disposal, you probably want to just send it all down the drain and forget about it, but a lot of summer foods aren’t disposal safe. Sending the wrong foods down your disposal will leave you calling us at Barbosa for garbage disposal repair, which really takes the fun out of your summer picnic.
We’ve compiled a list of summer foods that taste amazing but can damage your garbage disposal. So before you end up with a costly plumbing repair bill, check the list.
Fruit Waste Will Destroy Your Disposal Motor & Blades
Melons and peaches are a quintessential summer food. But be careful what parts you put in your garbage disposal. The larger the seed, the more likely it is to damage it. Avoid grinding pits, seeds and rinds and your disposal will continue to run like clockwork.
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Persimmons
- Mangoes
- Nectarines
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
Pasta, Nuts & Beans Will Clog Your Drains
Save yourself the hassle of a backed up drain and keep all dried beans or pasta out of the pipes! Once immersed in water, these food particles will expand and build up, creating sludge in your pipes. Eliminating these blockages may ultimately require a professional drain cleaning from a licensed professional.
- Coffee grounds
- Nuts
- Green beans
- And even pasta (pasta expands in water and will cause blockages in your pipes!)
Fibrous Foods WIll Tangle Up Your Disposal Blades
Foods that are fibrous, or stringy, are a big culprit in our disposal repair calls. The strings get caught up in the blages of your disposal, causing clogs and jams. Keeps these fibrous foods out of your garbage disposal:
- Corn Husks
- Onion Skins
- Leafy Greens
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Potato peels
Animal Products Will Wreak Havoc On Your Entire Septic System
Bones, no matter how small, shouldn’t even make it past the blades. If they do, they will immediately get stuck in your drain and will need to be removed by a professional. Grease and eggshells will coagulate, coating your disposal & creating inline blockages in your pipes. Sewer line repairs aren’t pretty or cheap, so don’t risk it!
- Bones
- Grease
- Eggshells
When In Doubt, Just Ask!
If you do end up accidentally sending something down your disposal that is on this list or seems to be causing your disposal some trouble, just call Barbosa at (214) 351-7030.