The garbage disposal is the unsung hero of the modern kitchen. It makes cleanup a breeze and keeps our trash cans from smelling like last week’s dinner. However, many homeowners treat their disposal like a black hole that can swallow anything.
The reality? Your disposal is not a trash compactor. It is a delicate machine designed for soft, biodegradable food scraps. At Clean Hits Pipe Cleaning, kitchen sink clogs are one of our most frequent emergency calls. More often than not, the culprit is one of these five “forbidden” items.
1. Grease, Fats, and Oils (The #1 Enemy)
You might think running hot water while pouring grease down the drain makes it okay. It does not.
Here is the Las Vegas specific problem: It might be 110°F outside, but you likely keep your home at a cool 72°F. When hot liquid grease hits your air-conditioned pipes, it cools and solidifies instantly. It coats the blades and the pipe walls, creating a sticky trap that catches other food debris until the drain is completely choked.
2. Fibrous Vegetables (Celery, Corn Husks, Artichokes)
Vegetables that are stringy are a nightmare for disposals. The disposal blades don’t actually cut like knives; they pulverize. Stringy fibers from celery or corn husks can wrap around the motor shaft or slip past the blades entirely, creating a net in the drain pipe that catches everything else.
3. Eggshells
There is a persistent myth that eggshells sharpen the blades. This is false.
While the hard shell is pulverized easily, it turns into a sand-like sediment. This heavy, gritty sand doesn’t float; it settles in the “trap” (the U-bend under the sink). Over time, this sediment builds up like concrete, restricting water flow.
4. Pasta and Rice
No matter how much you grind them, pasta and rice react to water by expanding. Even after they go down the drain, they continue to absorb water and swell. A small bowl of leftover spaghetti can turn into a thick, glue-like paste inside your plumbing that is incredibly difficult to push through.
5. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds look small and harmless, but they are heavy and oily. They stick together rather than breaking down. In your pipes, they act like wet cement. If you combine coffee grounds with a little bit of grease (see point #1), you are guaranteed a blockage.
Is Your Disposal Making a Hum But Not Spinning?
If you accidentally fed your disposal the wrong meal and now it’s humming, jammed, or backing up into the sink, don’t reach your hand inside!
Clean Hits Pipe Cleaning can safely unjam your unit or clear the drain line to get your kitchen back in action. Contact us today at +1 702-808-3459.