Garbage Disposals and Your Drains: Do's and Don'ts

A garbage disposal makes kitchen cleanup easy, but it also lulls people into sending things down the drain that shouldn't go there. Used wrong, it's a fast track to a clogged line.

What Not to Put Down It

• Grease, fats, and oils of any kind
• Fibrous foods — celery, corn husks, onion skins
• Starchy foods — pasta, rice, potato peels (they swell)
• Coffee grounds and eggshells
• Bones and fruit pits

Use It Right

Run cold water before, during, and after; feed scraps in gradually, not all at once; and let the water run a few seconds after grinding to flush the line. Even then, the disposal isn't a substitute for the trash can.