Your Garbage Disposal Isn't a Trash Can (And Other Things That'll Break It)

I get at least three calls a week from people who've killed their garbage disposal. It's always the same story: "I don't know what happened, it just stopped working." Then I pull out potato peels, coffee grounds, or—my personal favorite—a whole lemon.

What a Disposal Actually Does

It grinds soft food scraps into small particles that can wash down your drain. That's it. It's not a blender, it's not a wood chipper, and it definitely isn't a substitute for a trash can.

The mechanism is simple: spinning metal impellers fling food against a grind ring. Water washes the particles away. When you put in something that doesn't grind, doesn't wash away, or jams the impellers, it stops working.

What Not to Put Down There (Ever)

Grease, oil, or fat. It goes down liquid, coats everything, hardens, and clogs your pipes. This is the number one cause of kitchen drain problems.

Coffee grounds. They seem fine because they're small, but they clump together and create a sludge that doesn't wash away. Compost them instead.

Pasta, rice, oatmeal—anything that expands with water. A few noodles turn into a sticky mass that glues itself to your pipes.

Fibrous vegetables: celery, asparagus, corn husks, onion skins. The fibers wrap around the impellers like string. It jams, you smell burning, it's done.

Potato peels. They turn into a starchy paste that's basically glue.

Bones. Your disposal might grind up tiny chicken bones, but it's not worth the risk. Big bones will jam it immediately.

Egg shells. There's a myth these sharpen the blades. There are no blades—it's impellers. Shells create tiny granular waste that sticks to pipes and contributes to clogs.

Anything non-food. Glass, plastic, paper, twist ties, rubber bands. Sounds obvious, but I've seen it all.

What's Actually Fine

Small scraps of soft food. Little bits of vegetables, fruit, cooked meat. If it's already pretty mushy and there's not much of it, go ahead.

Citrus peels in small amounts. They'll actually make it smell better. Just don't stuff a whole orange peel down there.

Ice cubes. They help clean off the impellers. Run a handful through once a month.

How to Use It Right

Turn on the cold water first. Keep it running while the disposal runs, and for 15 seconds after you turn it off. Cold water keeps grease solid so it can be chopped up and flushed. Hot water melts grease, which then coats your pipes.

Feed stuff in gradually. Don't pack it full and hope for the best.

Let it run until everything's ground up and you don't hear anything rattling around. Then run water for another 15 seconds.

When It Jams

First: TURN IT OFF. Don't keep flipping the switch hoping it'll unjam. You'll burn out the motor.

Most disposals have a hex-shaped hole on the bottom. Use an Allen wrench (usually 1/4") to manually turn the impellers back and forth. This breaks up the jam.

There's also a reset button on the bottom. Press it after you've cleared the jam.

Never stick your hand down there. Not even when it's off. Use tongs or pliers to remove whatever's stuck.

When to Replace It

Disposals last 8-15 years. If yours is leaking, making horrible noises, or constantly jamming, it's time. A basic replacement runs $200-400 installed. Don't buy the cheapest model—spend $150-200 on the unit itself and get something with a decent warranty and horsepower.

Or just scrape your plates into the trash and use the disposal for the occasional small scraps. It'll last forever, and you'll never call me about it.