People tend to think that they can safely send anything they want down the drain or garbage disposal. They think of it as out of sight, out of mind. Sadly, this isn’t the case. Although just about anything that can fit down a drain will seem to disappear safely, there are certain foods that should never be sent down your drain. Here are just a few examples.
Grease
It may not technically be a food, but grease is one thing that should never be sent down your drain. In fact, it’s probably one of the main reasons why drain cleaning services are needed in the first place. Grease may pour down the drain easily, but it will harden as it cools and form a plug.
Instead of pouring cooking grease or fat down the drain, pour it into a container and save it. Glass jars usually work best for this. Once you have a full jar of grease, check to see if there are any recycling programs that accept cooking grease. There should be at least a few places in your area that will be glad to take it off your hands.
Bones and Fruit Pits
Although bones and fruit pits are as inedible as most kinds of food scraps that you would put in your garbage disposal, they are simply too dense to be ground up effectively. You will be more likely to ruin your garbage disposal blades before you rid yourself of this waste. Throw your bones and pits in the garbage instead.
Onion Skins
Onion skins may seem light enough to be washed down a garbage disposal, but they can also wrap around a disposal’s shredder ring and cause problems down the road. Consider composting your onion peels instead of sending them down the drain.
Fibrous Fruits and Vegetables
Like onion skins, starchy and fibrous fruits and vegetables can cause a lot of problems with your garbage disposal. The long fibers that make up asparagus, celery, corn husks and the peels of citrus fruits can wrap around the disposal ring of your garbage disposal just like onion skins.
Egg Shells
Egg shells aren’t as bad for a garbage disposal as some of the other items on this list, but they can still cause some problems. First of all, the membranes on the shells can stick to the blades of your garbage disposal and even the sides of your drain, causing problems down the road. Second of all, egg shells cannot be broken down by the bacteria in a septic tank, which is where everything in your garbage disposal goes to.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds won’t harm your garbage disposal, but they should still never go down your drain. They can get stuck in the trap of your sink’s drain, and if they are allowed to accumulate they can cause some nasty clogs that will require drain snake repair from a drain cleaning or plumbing service.
It’s important to not let these substances go down your drain or garbage disposal if you can help it, but accidents will happen. No matter how careful you may be, you might still find yourself with a clogged drain at some point. If this is the case, make sure you contact a reliable Pittsburgh plumbing company before things get too out of hand.
Clogged drains are a pain for any homeowner. If your drains aren’t performing up to par, call the drain cleaning services of Mister Sewer to help get your drains flowing smoothly once more. From minor clogs to serious backups, the Pittsburgh drain cleaning services from Mister Sewer can help provide a fast and efficient solution to your home’s drainage problems. If you notice your home’s drains performing poorly, don’t hesitate and call Mister Sewer right away, our technicians can help you stay on top of your piping problems.