From what we have learned, it appears that small doses of egg shells can safely go down the disposal.
InSinkErator’s disposal instruction manual specifically states, “Don’t grind large amounts of egg shells or fibrous materials like corn husks, artichokes, etc, to avoid possible drain blockage.”
KitchenAid and Whirlpool — who seem to use the same exact user manual for their standard disposal models — say that their units are “designed to dispose of food wastes including bones, fruit and vegetable wastes, pits, egg shells and coffee grounds.” (They do, however, caution that if you have a septic tank, you should limit the amount of eggshell that you grind.)
Some people say that egg shells are actually beneficial to the disposal, because the ground particles are hard and small enough enough to scrape off caked-on gunk in the machine’s various crevasses.
Keeping the works working
You should run the egg shells through with some other disposal-friendly foods (vegetable peels, for example) so that they help the shells move along through the pipes. Also be sure to run plenty of cold water before, during and after you flip the switch — no matter what you’re grinding — to flush out the pipe and avoid clogs.
Of course, if your disposal has been going for 10 years or more, it may not be as strong as it once was… and you might not want to stress it with eggshells.
Finally — and regardless of whether you just installed a new garbage disposal or it’s one that’s been in the house since it was built — we’ve learned the hard way that it’s always smart to keep an inexpensive jam-busting wrench on hand. They’re surprisingly effective for quick repairs, and are super-simple to use.
No need to walk on eggshells
From what we have learned, it appears that small doses of egg shells can safely go down the disposal.
InSinkErator’s disposal instruction manual specifically states, “Don’t grind large amounts of egg shells or fibrous materials like corn husks, artichokes, etc, to avoid possible drain blockage.”
KitchenAid and Whirlpool — who seem to use the same exact user manual for their standard disposal models — say that their units are “designed to dispose of food wastes including bones, fruit and vegetable wastes, pits, egg shells and coffee grounds.” (They do, however, caution that if you have a septic tank, you should limit the amount of eggshell that you grind.)
Some people say that egg shells are actually beneficial to the disposal, because the ground particles are hard and small enough enough to scrape off caked-on gunk in the machine’s various crevasses.
Keeping the works working
You should run the egg shells through with some other disposal-friendly foods (vegetable peels, for example) so that they help the shells move along through the pipes. Also be sure to run plenty of cold water before, during and after you flip the switch — no matter what you’re grinding — to flush out the pipe and avoid clogs.
Of course, if your disposal has been going for 10 years or more, it may not be as strong as it once was… and you might not want to stress it with eggshells.
Finally — and regardless of whether you just installed a new garbage disposal or it’s one that’s been in the house since it was built — we’ve learned the hard way that it’s always smart to keep an inexpensive jam-busting wrench on hand. They’re surprisingly effective for quick repairs, and are super-simple to use.
loading...