Settle a debate. Clicky poll.

mamarazzi

My family is in a debate over the garbage disposal.  Some people think bananas and smooshed up crackers are too hard for it and some people want to put ev.er.y.thing. down it.

Just wondering what the general consensus is.

[Poll]

Yodajo

We put very little down ours because we have a septic tank.  Before we moved, we used it a little more.

AnnapolisLari

I don't put bones down there, but egg shells and the like-- all the time.

Most of our soft stuff goes into the compost heap.

amiamish

I only put minimal amounts of food in there, not because I don't think the garbage disposer can handle it, but because it clogs up the pipes if you put too much down it... at least, in my old/shithole home it does.

Andrewsgal

We have a new house/pipes/garbage disposal and use it for almost anything except potato skins and bones.

Temp970088312507122

I'll do anything but potato skins and bones. My MIL though does put small bones down her's (and they've had to get a new disposal like every other year). My parents and a friend won't put anything harder than cottage cheese down theirs'!

knmommy

My DH fixes garbage disposals (along with other big appliances)  No bones, and most definatley never put potatoe skins down it.  Ice is actually the best way to clean the disposal, and that isn't soft.

Bellisimo

Andrewsgal:

We have a new house/pipes/garbage disposal and use it for almost anything except potato skins and bones.

This, exactly.  We don't put coffee grounds down it either.  Everything else goes....with HOT water.

AZ_Erica

I put EVERYTHING down ours.  I would have not even thought about bananas.  DH tells me to stop putting so much down it, but it's still working well after 5 years:)  We have sewer though, if we had septic I would rethink some of what I put down it, but not because of the garbage disposal itself.

elm1032004

Yodajo:

We put very little down ours because we have a septic tank.  Before we moved, we used it a little more.

This, in fact we don't use it at all because it is bad for your septic tank.

Temp159135562506975

i would never put bones or anythign that is solid/hard like that- but I put lemon wedges down there with ice to clean it (that's how the recommend cleaning the blades and sharpening them)... so anything that is about that hard and easy to break up is fine IMO!

s_angel

Curious....what's the big deal with potato skins? I'm SURE i've put potato skins down ours!

mlm1128

A few potato skins is fine.  Skins from 5 lbs of potatoes=the plumber at your house because the sink won't drain.  Trust me on this one...I think it' the starch.  It just gobs up and blocks the pipes.

Temp108743750006959

we rarely use ours or just put down whatever falls off the plates (the actual leftover food goes in the trash). we have sewer, but our neighborhood and pipes are old