If your Palmetto Bay rental home has a garbage disposal, you will know that it is one of the hardest-working appliances in the kitchen. But regardless of how good it is, it doesn’t mean that it can handle all types of “garbage.” Even if most garbage disposals handle a lot of food scraps with ease, there are a few scraps that you should never put in a garbage disposal. Doing this may damage the disposal’s motor, blades, and more. To prevent unnecessary expensive repairs and keep your garbage disposal working great, keep these items out of your kitchen sink.
- Coffee grounds. You thought those little coffee grounds would just slip right down your kitchen pipes, but in fact, they can build up in your pipes and create a nasty sludge. Attempting to grind them up with the disposal won’t do your disposal blades any good, either.
- Eggshells. Not everybody acknowledges that eggshells should stay out of your garbage disposal, but sometimes it is one of the reasons why your garbage disposal is not working well. The shell’s thin membrane can get stuck around your disposal’s blades and cause the entire thing to break down. It’s better to toss your eggshells in the trash
- Fruit seeds and pits. Small, hard objects should never be put down your garbage disposal. Fruit seeds and pits are definitely in this category. If you can’t cut the seeds or pit with a knife, your garbage disposal won’t be able to grind it up, as well.
- Popcorn kernels. The same as fruit seeds, popcorn kernels are too hard for your disposal blades to grind. Those tiny kernels will get stuck in your disposal’s machinery and cause the whole device to seize up. Getting them back out can cause a lot of trouble.
- Bones and seafood shells. Very small bones and seafood shells might slip through the disposal without too many issues, but bigger ones will make a mess of your plumbing and your disposal unit, also. Most bones are too hard and dense for the disposal to break down. They will clog your pipes.
- Potato peels. It is tempting to simply wash your potato peels down the drain and let your disposal try to chew them up. But you don’t realize that potato peels are full of starch, which will cause them to clump together in a thick paste that can clog your pipes. The same holds true for rice.
- Fibrous vegetables. Any type of vegetable that is stringy should be kept away from your garbage disposal. Celery, pumpkin, lettuce, artichokes, and asparagus can all get wrapped around your disposal’s blades. These can result in expensive plumbing repairs.
- Nuts. In several aspects, your garbage disposal blades are a lot like a blender. Anything you throw down there will get ground up. When you grind nuts, the end product is nut butter, which is sticky and not at all good for your disposal or your pipes. If you continue doing that, it will be formed and stick to the walls of your pipes and the inside of your disposal, creating clogs and other types of problems.
Besides these eight items, a golden rule for keeping your garbage disposal working properly is if you wouldn’t dump it down the drain, don’t put it in the disposal. By learning what you shouldn’t put in a garbage disposal, you can avoid unnecessary maintenance calls and repairs. Your landlord will love you for it!
In case you’re looking for a rental home or want some assistance to manage your Palmetto Bay rental property, contact Real Property Management Dade immediately at 305-501-1511 to communicate with a qualified Palmetto Bay property manager today!
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