What do you know abou garbage disposals?

[YeeHa]

We are buying a new house that comes with a garbage disposal and since I have never had one before I am curious how people like/dislike them. Is it better to compost or not really make a difference?

[crunchy_mama]

depending on the disposal I would say to make sure to
1) always run water during and after running
2) don't put large hunks of anything down there
3) don't put fibrous materials ie banana peels etc


mostly I use it for the little stuff that is left after I do dishes

[artemis33]

: and also be careful not to lose small items down in there that can get ruined - like toddler utensils, Sigg bottle caps, etc. Ask me how I know! :

Once in a while run a slice of lemon through it to freshen it up.

[Katheda]

We primarily use ours for all of our citrus peels as it keeps it mighty fresh and I love the smell. Other than that, the only thing that goes down ours is the stuff that wasn't properly scraped off plates by the kids

[CariOfOz]

NO POTATO PEELS!!!! (and how do I know this? from living in a townhouse where my very nice neighbor ran tater peels down her disposal.. thus flooding my kitchen because our plumbing was attached lol)

[mamoma]

I think having a garbage disposal improves a person's quality of life IMMENSELY. No more scraping plates into the garbage! No more dealing with a gross little food-clog basket in the drain!
Garbage Disposal Tip: If you have any extra lemon, throw it in and chop it up. It'll make your kitchen smell great.

[woodchick]

We have a disposal, but I compost most of our garbage. I don't like the idea of putting extra waste in the water system that only has to be purified out.

That being said, it has come in handy on occasion.

[nathansmum]

From an environmental pov, waste disposal systems waste good clean water to wash it all down and the water ends up just needing to be cleaned and recycled. If you have a compost, it would be far better to use it.

[Azreial]

We had one didn't like it, took it out. My plumber husband calls them "a plumbers best friend" and tbh I can't think of a single plumber I know that reccomends them.
That being said to keep them clean you actually want to use ice not lemon or orange peel. Sounds weird but it totally works, something about the ice cleaning off the blades. I don't know exactly, dh tried to explain it to me

[boysmom2]

I read somewhere (the book Organic Housekeeping, maybe?) that it's actually a pretty bad idea to use them. It's much better to compost. Like a pp said, it's just adding more waste and water to the system that needs to be cleaned. Also, especially if you live in a more densely populated area, it will just provide more food for more rats and roaches that live in the sewer systems. Yuck.

I wish that wasn't the case - I really liked using one.

[AngieB]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

NO POTATO PEELS!!!! (and how do I know this? from living in a townhouse where my very nice neighbor ran tater peels down her disposal.. thus flooding my kitchen because our plumbing was attached lol)

I was coming to post the very same advise. Unfortunately it was not the neighbor, it was me. I had never had a garbage disposal before and dh put one into our new kitchen sink. I though how great I can stand at the sink and peel my potato right here. It's been at least 10 years and I still have to hear about it from time to time.

[mercy589]

My Dad is a plumber - DONT EVER put rice or noodles or potato peels in there, anything that will turn starchy and clog it up. ...unless you live in Dallas and want to keep my Dad working...

[YeeHa]

wow thanks for all of the info! I kind of like the idea of not having to scrape plates but it seems there are many things that should not go down there that i wonder if it is really worth it. As it is it takes up a lot of space under the sink and there is no good spot for the actual garbage can...I think we will live there a while first and see how it goes before we make any decisions...

[Owen'nZoe]

My mom always said to put part of a lemon down to make it smell nice, too, but our plumber said that is a no-no (this is another 'ask me how I know' tip ). Instead, I use ice and a sprig of mint from the garden. Smells great, helps keep my mint plant in check, and doesn't clog.

I also just use mine for plate scrapings, and compost as much as I can instead of sending it down the drain or into the landfill.

[Mateo'sMommy]

Originally Posted by boysmom2

I read somewhere (the book Organic Housekeeping, maybe?) that it's actually a pretty bad idea to use them. It's much better to compost. Like a pp said, it's just adding more waste and water to the system that needs to be cleaned. Also, especially if you live in a more densely populated area, it will just provide more food for more rats and roaches that live in the sewer systems. Yuck.

I wish that wasn't the case - I really liked using one.

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