The Type Of Veggies You Should Keep Far Away From Your Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals may just be the unsung heroes of the modern kitchen. They effortlessly grind up your food scraps to keep your trash cans from emitting foul odors and even provide the environmental benefit of keeping waste out of landfills. So there's plenty of reasons to invest in this handy appliance.

However, some home chefs may get a bit overzealous when it comes to utilizing their garbage disposal. There are plenty of items that shouldn't be shoved down your sink, and the list may be longer than you think. While the DEA warns of pouring unused medications down the drain for reasons of local water quality and any plumber will tell you cooking oils will eventually lead to clogged drains, many commonly eaten foods should be tossed into the compost or trash can rather than the garbage disposal. 

From pasta to eggshells to coffee grounds, you should make a mental note of foods that should not go anywhere near your kitchen sink drain. And you may not expect these veggies to be on the top of the list.

If you've been tossing fibrous veggies into your garbage disposal, it's in your best interest to nix this habit as soon as possible. We know it's a quick and easy way to dispose of your scraps, but these types of vegetables can be responsible for wrecking your expensive device. According to Southern Living, stringy vegetables can easily get tangled up around the blades of the disposal and can cause them to stop spinning properly.

The vegetables to avoid throwing into your disposal include "celery, pumpkin, lettuce, kale, artichokes, and asparagus." However, if you do absentmindedly toss a few asparagus ends or lettuce leaves down the drain, and the unit ends up jamming, you can most likely fix it. American Home Shield suggests (once you've ensured the power is off) using a flashlight to identify the problem and using a tool, such as pliers, to remove the stringy pieces. And attempt to free all the bits of veg before turning it on again. 

However, it is best to avoid this scenario altogether. So, you may want to think twice before grinding up your next pile of vegetable scraps in the garbage disposal.