A team of plumbers from Prime Plumbing in Baltimore, Maryland, recently sparked a debate by claiming that many people are using their garbage disposals incorrectly.
The plumbers decided to address this issue on TikTok by asking their employees to name 'one thing you should never put down your garbage disposal.'
Plumbers at Prime Plumbing in Baltimore, Maryland, posted a video on TikTok that quickly went viral. In the footage, they asked employees to name 'one thing you should never put down your garbage disposal.'
Of the six plumbers who provided their insights, half of them advised against putting 'anything' into the garbage disposal, including food.
The other plumbers recommended avoiding certain items, such as chicken bones, rice, eggshells, or anything starchy when using this kitchen device.
This might seem perplexing, considering that the primary function of garbage disposal is to shred food waste into small pieces that can pass through the plumbing.
The video quickly gained popularity, amassing 2.6 million views and over 4,600 comments since its posting. The core issue doesn't lie with the garbage disposal itself but with the connected plumbing. Using it as a substitute for a trash can can potentially lead to pipe blockages.
One person said: There’s almost nothing I won't put in the garbage disposal.
A second wrote: Food and Grease should never go down a kitchen sink.
A third commented: I had my disposal taken out garbage belongs in the garbage can not the pipes.
Someone else said: I must be a plumber at heart because I only ever put ice cubs in my garbage disposal. All else goes in a trash can in the mud room.
Another said: I was told by my very experienced and excellent plumber the same--don't put anything down disposal intentionally, and keep a strainer on top of the sink drain to catch as much as possible.
The problem is with the name -- "garbage disposal." It's not really designed for you to put your garbage down the drain. It's just to flush the little stuff that is in the bottom of your sink when you wash the dishes. You are supposed to scrape the food off the plates first into the garbage can. I don't like to send too much food down the drain because it burdens the town's wastewater treatment facility. Someone else added.
According to Consumer Reports, fats, oils, grease, starchy foods, eggshells, shellfish, coffee grounds, and vegetable peels are some of the culprits that can clog plumbing. On the other hand, fruit, fruit pits, vegetable scraps, corn cobs, cooked meat, small bones, leftovers, and ice are generally considered safe to dispose of through garbage disposal.
