# What is "ok" to put through a sink disposal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2025, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542 "2025-11-03T21:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/101 "2025-11-05T00:31:53Z")
One can hope you got the good stuff out before downloading. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/102 "2025-11-05T01:08:14Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I feel like food that’s been ground up by a disposal isn’t really all that different, in texture or chemistry, from poop. A LOT of the bulk of poop is dead bacteria. If you consider the size of an individual bacterium and the size of a granule of food that’s been chopped by a disposal, one’s about a thousand times larger than the other. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/103 "2025-11-05T02:35:52Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I feel like food that’s been ground up by a disposal isn’t really all that different, in texture or chemistry, from poop. Food that’s been ground up by a disposal isn’t that different from food that’s been ground up by your teeth. Except for severe digestive issues, or a new model of garbage disposal that comes equipped with a vat of acid, poop should be _significantly_ more well processed than that. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/104 "2025-11-05T03:11:50Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’ve lived here 30 years and it hasn’t clogged, yet. My parents had a disposal for at least 40 years without ever having a problem. They put scraps down their, too. Since around 1970, when my dad purchased a disposal, (we also had a trash compactor and microwave - my dad loved gadgets) every place I’ve lived (except one apartment in graduate school) has had a garbage disposal. I’ve always fed it food scraps. As I mentioned in an earlier post the only clogs I’ve had were banana peels (which clogged the actual disposal) and raw shrimp shells (which got past the disposal unchopped and clogged the outlet). I’m ignoring the occasional fork or other utensil which fell in and jammed the disposal. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/105 "2025-11-05T04:14:39Z")
In a fun coincidence I just got a text from my ex-wife that may win the thread. My ex-mother in law, who I adore, grew up on a farm in Iowa. She’s 91 and lives on her own just fine. Her cat brought a near dead mouse into her condo. She stomped on it to make sure it was dead and the disposed of it by…well I am sure you can guess. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/106 "2025-11-05T12:48:40Z")
Did it work? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/107 "2025-11-05T14:13:56Z")
> [@Manlob](#): > > The current issue of Consumer Reports has an article with 15 tips on how not to wreck your appliances. One of the tips is to not put potato peelings in your disposal (the other 14 tips are for other types of appliances). Potato peels (plus the accompanying plumber bill) is what taught us to stop using our insinkerator as a garbage disposal. As the plumber said, the starchy stuff simply gets turned into a mush that can then stick to pipes, build up at the nearer elbows and eventually clog. (I also learned as a young lad not to pour grease drippings down the sink). The plumber repeated the advice earlier in this thread, it’s ok to use for minor amounts of plate scraping left over from wiping into the garbage, the left-over bits stuck caked onto pans, etc. but not as a substitute for garbage disposal - make the effort to put it in the garbage instead. Now we have the opposite problem - to remember to run the disposal every so often and get rid of the small bits that accumulate in there, ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/108 "2025-11-05T14:28:24Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Now we have the opposite problem - to remember to run the disposal every so often and get rid of the small bits that accumulate in there, I use my sink normally until the water starts to drain a little bit slowly, at which point I go “oh yeah, let’s run the disposal” and do so. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/109 "2025-11-05T14:42:50Z")
I do that, but I also run the disposal right before starting the dishwasher, which is usually also right after rinsing debris off a lot of dishes. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/110 "2025-11-05T14:46:42Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I feel like food that’s been ground up by a disposal isn’t really all that different, in texture or chemistry, from poop. Thus our need to, every few months, resort to a toilet plunger. Our new house did not come with a disposal. I planned to get one, but we got used to going without. The old house had a toilet efficient enough to never back up. That is a loss. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/111 "2025-11-05T20:11:09Z")
Here is what one of the largest disposal companies recommends- > **[What to put down a Food Waste Disposer | InSinkErator GB](https://www.insinkerator.com/en-gb/blog/what-to-put-down-a-food-waste-disposer?srsltid=AfmBOorYfp1H4NycLU_tC662ydE07GmAGT44uB2lZ5pyoJcHkSqk_Mny)** > > Not sure what you can put in your food waste disposer? Take a look at the InSinkErator visual guide to gain a better understanding of which foods you can or can't put in your specific model. If you have any questions about our products or services... ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/112 "2025-11-05T20:16:21Z")
Huh, i don’t know if they are called “blades”, but mine has things with sharp edges that spin. Also, no way would i put asparagus through mine. That can be very stringy. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/113 "2025-11-05T20:21:51Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Did it work? Something tells me that it wasn’t for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/114 "2025-11-05T20:26:09Z")
My guess is that she used enough water and it worked fine. Mice are small. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/115 "2025-11-05T23:49:18Z")
That bit from Insinkerator reminds me of all the “flushable wipes”. Which no plumber will ever tell you ought to be flushed. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/116 "2025-11-06T00:16:02Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Coffee grounds, egg shells, and sand are things you do _not_ want going down your waste lines. Yesterday I bought a coffee maker that has a build-in grinder and reusable filter. (I used disposable filters with my previous coffee maker.) After dumping the old grounds in the trash, I used my kitchen faucet to clean the filter, which resulted in some coffee grounds going down the drain. I thought to myself, “Hmm, I wonder if I shouldn’t do that.” I Googled it, and learned coffee grounds should never go down the drain. So how do I clean the filter? Do I need to take it outside and pour water through it? I am now beginning to regret this purchase; paper filters are so much easier. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/117 "2025-11-06T00:42:47Z")
I use a coffeemaker just like your new one. Have for years. What matters with grounds (or any non-soluble) in a drain is the total dose. I take the filter basket out of the coffee maker a few minutes after the brewing is done to let it drain & cool in the sink. A couple hours later (like when I’m finished with the coffee & my morning laze-about) the grounds aren’t as damp and sticky. Bang the filter basket upside down in the trash can a few times and ~95% of the grounds fall out. Leaving some few in the basket. Rinse those out in the sink & forget about it. If a complete filter basket of grounds every day will clog your drain in 5 years, then a 5% residual set of grounds will clog the same drain in 5 \* 20 = 100 years. I’m not worried about my drains 100 years from now. YMMV of course. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/118 "2025-11-06T00:52:44Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Note that your dishwasher has a filter (usually 3 filter layers) that needs cleaning preferably monthly. In my entire life I have never cleaned a dishwasher filter, but this post gave me pause. So I looked in the manual for our 2-year-old Maytag dishwasher. I found this paragraph; > Your dishwasher has the latest technology in dishwasher filtration. The Clean Water Wash system continuously removes food particles from the wash water for excellent performance. Plus, there is no need to ever remove and clean the filter. I’ll take that recommendation to heart and never remove and clean the filter. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/119 "2025-11-06T00:58:31Z")
Yeah I use a French press most days, and I do rinse the strainer and beaker in the sink, which results in a small amount of course grounds going down the drain, and then run thru the disposal. The rest of the grounds get dumped out in the yard. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542/120 "2025-11-06T01:18:58Z")
Yeah, it’s all about dose. Sand and coffee grounds are exactly the same with or without a disposal. They’ll pass through the grinder more-or-less unchanged. And a little of either other to be okay. You don’t want to be dumping a lot of anything solid down the drain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ok-to-put-through-a-sink-disposal/1024542.md?page=7)