Keep These Holiday Foods Away from Your Garbage Disposal

A family eating a holiday dinner.

The holiday season is officially here and we’re starting to realize how fast time flew by. Before we knew it, the pool toys were put away and the pumpkins were set out on the porch. With the fun activities that the holiday season brings, it also brings heavy foot traffic in your kitchen for all of the preparation required for those family meals. Between cooking a turkey, peeling potatoes, and baking pies in the oven, the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house during the holidays.

While we all love a delicious home-cooked meal, the cleanup afterwards isn’t always the easiest. Doing dishes is never fun, but what’s worse is a garbage disposal that isn’t working properly because certain foods were put in it. In this blog, we’re sharing all of the holiday foods that should be kept away from the garbage disposal to ensure smooth sailing in the kitchen this season.

Turkey Bones

When we think of Thanksgiving, a big turkey placed in the middle of the dining room table is usually the first thing to come to mind. However, the leftover bones after your family is finished feasting should be thrown in the garbage can, not the garbage disposal. Large turkey bones, or any meat bones for that matter, can completely wreck your disposal’s impeller blades. Even if you think the bones are small enough to go down the disposal, they will get stuck further down your drain lines, causing a clog later on.

Oil and Fats

Did you know that grease, oil, and fats harden when they cool down? This is a recipe for disaster for your drain. Not only can this cause other food particles to get stuck in your drain, but it will cause even more damage and severe clogs. Instead of immediately dumping cooking oil or turkey grease down your garbage disposal, allow it to cool down first and then toss it in the trash can.

Stringy Vegetables

We all love a good green bean casserole during the holidays, but don’t throw those leftovers down your garbage disposal! Stringy vegetables, such as green beans, celery, and asparagus, should be thrown in the trash can or kept in containers and stored in the fridge. Their stringy texture can wrap around your garbage disposal’s impeller blades and cause problems down the line. A few other stringy vegetables to be careful with are:

  • Artichokes
  • Kale
  • Lettuce
  • Pumpkin
  • Corn husks

Coffee Grounds

Whether you prefer your coffee in the morning or enjoy a nice cup of decaf with your dessert after a holiday dinner, you should never dump your coffee grounds down the garbage disposal. When coffee grounds are mixed with water, a sludgy texture is created and can cause a serious blockage in your drain lines.

Potato Skins

You absolutely cannot put potato peels in the garbage disposal. Potato skins are one of the worst things you can put down your garbage disposal because they cause clogs and can also cause an obstruction in your disposal’s impeller. The same applies to turkey skin and banana peels.

Pits and Seeds

This might be an obvious one, but pits and seeds can cause blockages down your drain line and also ruin your impeller blades. Smaller seeds like pumpkin seeds can get stuck further down your drain line and can be difficult to wash away, whereas larger fruit pits can completely ruin your impeller.

Take care of your drains and garbage disposal this holiday season by keeping the above food items away from them! At J&M Plumbing & Drain Cleaning, we always want our customers to enjoy the holidays with their families, and you need a fully functioning kitchen to do that. If you end up having issues with your garbage disposal this year or need a professional drain cleaning, give us a call at (215) 987-4607.