Garbage Disposal Dos and Don'ts: What to Put Down and What to Keep Out

A garbage disposal is one of those appliances that homeowners either treat carefully or abuse without realizing it. Used correctly, a disposal can last ten to fifteen years with minimal maintenance. Used as a catch-all for kitchen waste, it will jam, clog, and fail far sooner — and often take your kitchen drain with it.

Here is a clear guide to what belongs in a garbage disposal and what absolutely does not.

What You Can Put Down a Garbage Disposal

Small food scraps that come off plates and cookware. This is what disposals are designed for. Soft food residue, small vegetable trimmings, and small scraps of cooked food are all appropriate.

Most fruit and vegetable scraps (in moderation, and with exceptions noted below). Cut fruit pieces, cooked vegetable leftovers, salad scraps, and similar items process well.

Cooked meat scraps (small amounts). Small pieces of cooked meat are generally fine, though you should avoid large quantities and anything with bone.

Ice cubes. Running a few ice cubes through the disposal periodically helps clean the grinding components and sharpen the impellers.

Citrus peels. Small pieces of lemon, lime, or orange peel not only process well but leave the disposal smelling clean. Use in moderation — large amounts of citrus pith can contribute to buildup.

Dish soap and cold water. Always run cold water before, during, and for 15 to 30 seconds after running the disposal. Cold water keeps fats solid so they can be ground and flushed through rather than coating the interior.

What You Should Never Put Down a Garbage Disposal

Grease, oil, and fat. This is the most damaging mistake homeowners make. Cooking grease poured down the disposal (or any drain) adheres to the inside of pipes and builds up over time, eventually causing blockages. Pour cooled grease into a container and dispose of it in the trash.

Coffee grounds. Coffee grounds feel fine going down but accumulate in the drain pipe in a dense, sludge-like mass. They are a surprisingly common cause of drain blockages. Put them in the trash or compost.

Pasta, rice, and bread. These expand when wet and continue expanding after they pass through the disposal, swelling inside drain traps and pipes. Even after grinding, they create sticky masses that catch other debris.

Fibrous vegetables. Celery, artichokes, asparagus, corn husks, and similar fibrous vegetables have strings that wrap around the disposal's grinding mechanism, causing jams. These go in the trash.

Onion skins. The thin, papery outer layers of onions can slip past the grinding blades intact and get lodged in the drain.

Potato and banana peels. The starchy, dense interior of potatoes creates a thick paste when ground. Banana peels are both fibrous and starchy. Both are disposal hazards.

Eggshells. There is a persistent myth that eggshells sharpen disposal blades. They do not — disposals use impellers, not blades. Ground eggshell membrane creates a sticky coating that attracts other debris.

Bones, fruit pits, and hard seeds. Chicken bones, peach pits, cherry pits, and similar hard materials are too hard for most household disposals to process and will damage or jam the unit.

Non-food items. Twist ties, produce stickers, rubber bands, cigarette butts, and anything else that is not food should never go near the disposal.

How to Keep Your Disposal Clean and Odor-Free

Always use cold water, not hot. Cold water keeps fats solid and flushable. Hot water melts fats, which then recoat the inside of the drain.

Run water before and after use. Turn on the cold water before you turn on the disposal, and keep it running for 15 to 30 seconds after you turn the disposal off. This flushes ground material fully through the drain.

Grind ice and citrus monthly. Drop in a few ice cubes and a small piece of lemon peel, run cold water, and turn on the disposal. This cleans and deodorizes in one step.

Clean the splash guard. The rubber splash guard at the top of the disposal accumulates grime underneath. Lift it and clean both sides periodically with a scrub brush and dish soap.

Baking soda and vinegar flush. Once a month, pour a half cup of baking soda into the disposal, followed by a half cup of white vinegar. Let it fizz for a few minutes, then flush with cold water.

What to Do If the Disposal Jams

If the disposal hums but does not grind, it is likely jammed. First, turn the unit off at the switch and unplug it under the sink. Never reach into the disposal with your hand.

Most disposals have an allen wrench socket at the center of the bottom of the unit. Insert a disposal wrench or a standard allen wrench and work it back and forth to free the jam. Once the jam clears, press the red reset button on the bottom of the unit, plug it back in, run cold water, and turn it on.

If the disposal makes no sound at all when switched on, it has tripped its internal overload protector. Press the reset button on the bottom, wait five minutes, and try again.

When to call a plumber: if the disposal is jammed and the wrench method does not free it, if the unit leaks, if it makes grinding or rattling sounds despite being clear of debris, or if it is simply old and has failed entirely.

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Treating your disposal with a little awareness goes a long way. The most common disposal problems — jams, clogs, and premature wear — are almost entirely preventable with the guidelines above.