10 Things You Should Never Put in Your Garbage Disposal
Most garbage disposal service calls trace back to the same culprits. The disposal is designed for small food scraps — not as a replacement trash can. Here’s what to keep out, and why.
The never-put-down list
| # | Item | Why it destroys disposals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grease, oil, fat | Coats pipes, hardens, causes deep clogs downstream |
| 2 | Coffee grounds | Clump into a sludge that packs pipes |
| 3 | Eggshells | Membrane wraps around shredder plates; shells turn to gritty paste |
| 4 | Fibrous vegetables (celery, artichokes, corn husks) | Fibers tangle the impellers into a jam |
| 5 | Pasta and rice | Expand with water into a starchy glue that seals pipes |
| 6 | Potato peels | Same starchy paste problem, worse in volume |
| 7 | Bones (beyond tiny fish bones) | Dull and damage the shredder ring |
| 8 | Fruit pits | Too hard — crack the chamber or jam the motor |
| 9 | Non-food items (twist ties, bottle caps, utensils) | Instant jams; the #1 cause of “it just hums” calls |
| 10 | Harsh chemical drain cleaners | Corrode seals and the disposal housing |
What you CAN put down
Small soft food scraps, citrus peels (great deodorizers), and ice cubes (they scour the shredder plates clean). Always run cold water before, during, and 15 seconds after — cold water keeps grease solid so it flushes through instead of coating pipes.
It just hums — what now?
A humming disposal that doesn’t spin is almost always jammed, not dead. First: turn it OFF. Then press the red reset button on the bottom of the unit. If it still hums, use the hex wrench (usually taped under the sink or in the manual) in the bottom socket to manually free the impellers. Never put your hand inside — even unplugged, the shredder plates are sharp.
When to call a pro
Call if: the reset and wrench don’t free it, it’s leaking from the housing (not just a loose connection), the motor smells burned, or the unit is 10+ years old with recurring jams. Replacement is often cheaper than repair for disposals — most quality units run $150–$400 installed.
Jammed disposal in Columbia, MD? We’ll fix or replace it same-day.