I think the obvious answers here are:

1) raw meats
2) nuts


But what other things should we avoid putting down the garbage disposal?
and
How do you clean your's?

I'm curious on this too. Wouldn't that help us be "more green"? I always wondered about coffee grinds.

I either clean it with baking soda or orange peels.

__________________

Eggshells (I'm only saying this because my SIL does it). I was taught to never put anything in there so I try my hardest not to. I use baking soda and straight vingear, and have hear about frozen lemon slices (I have never tried it though).

__________________
September Coupon Savings: $146.56
October Coupon Savings: $209.08

It really depends on your disposal I think...some are a lot better than others. I don't put bones down mine...and I don't put down any shells from shrimp, crab or lobster. The only vegetable I've found it be a problem for me is celery. I don't pour fat down the disposal but my MIL does! Freaks me out every time I see her do it too! She just runs the hot water. It just goes against everything my mother and grandmother taught me in the kitchen about throwing away fat! LOL!

I don't have a problem with mine smelling...when I run citrus peels thru it does smell nice. I clean the edge of mine and any grooves, nooks and crannies (anything where I'm not sticking my hand down there) when I clean my sink, I use a toothbrush.

I found this online:

How to Maintain a Garbage Disposal - wikiHow

For my disposal I have found potato peels are a no no! Celery can wrap around because of its stringiness!

I put anything edible or That is part of anything edible.

I always Heard egg shells Were great cause they sharpened the blades.


I never heard Raw meat is a No- no - BUT my Brother Heard NO meat at all - in any form!


I never Put Coffee grounds in mine - Just Because I Dump that over the waste basket.

I Do Baking Soda and Vinegar in mine about every Few weeks -


My Parents Had a Septic System and the guy who was installing all their Stuff- ( New House) told them NO garbage disposal - He said that they tend to Be nothing But Problems.

I try not to put anything in there either. But my mother in law used to dump grease from her bacon pan in there and ended up causing problems. I think because it hardened up!

__________________
"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

Definitely no potato peels for me! The night before Thanksgiving I put a bunch of potato peels down there and it totally blocked up my pipes. 10pm the night before Thanksgiving my DH had to take apart all the pipes under our kitchen sink. OOPS!

__________________
Melissa, Mia & Sophie's Mommy

We are on a septic system and have a garbage disposal. I put a bit down the disposal to 'feed' the bacteria in the system but I'm careful not to put too much of any one thing because that is just solid matter that will need to be pumped later.

Definately no grease, not because the garbage disposal or the pipes care, but the septic system definately does. If I have to wash something greasy, I mix it with lots of hot water and Dawn.

My adult daughter once 'helped me out' in getting rid of a bunch of flour that went bad by putting it down the garbage disposal. Yes, she kept the cool water running but that doesn't prevent dough from forming! Again, too much of anything isn't good.

My rules are no meats, cheeses or celery. Everything else is fair game.

I don't put coffee grounds down my sink - garbage disposal or no - because I used to work at a coffee shop and I saw first hand how quickly coffee grounds can plug a drain.

I once had a cherry pit stall my garbage disposal because it got lodged in the gears. Once it was cleared, everything was fine.

I have a dog. He eats the leftover meat, cheese, eggs and rice. I have a rabbit and a guinea pig, too. They eat all the leftover produce. I don't have to use a garbage disposal for much of anything.

__________________
"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

~Nothing too fibrous (celery, edamame shells, etc.)
~No rice! I learned that one the hard way.

I don't clean mine, but maybe I should start? We don't have any smell issues with it yet.

__________________
~Vicki~
Mama to Hailey, 4 and Ella, 2