‘Why have a garbage disposal then?’

“What is one thing you should never put down your garbage disposal?” the company wrote in the text on the video. 

While some of the items the plumbers mentioned arguably weren’t particularly shocking — chicken bones, for example — many TikTokers were surprised to hear a few of the plumbers say “anything,” meaning that nothing should go into the garbage disposal. 

“So why have a garbage disposal then?” replied @codyscottperry.

“Everything they mentioned I put in my [garbage] disposal today,” commented @mystoryari.

Disposals are generally meant for smaller foods and leftover scraps, as the bigger and tougher pieces can cause plumbing issues or dull the blade. According to Trinity Plumbing, a company in Georgia, citrus rinds, coffee grounds, cooked meat scraps, and many fruits and vegetables can go in a garbage disposal without damaging it. 

Although Trinity Plumbing and Prime Plumbing have slightly differing opinions about what belongs in garbage disposals, they both agree that rice and other starches can be harmful. This is because several starchy foods expand with water and can create a paste that can clog the drain.

With all the debris and leftovers that go into a garbage disposal, experts recommended cleaning it once a week. While you can clean a disposal by scrubbing the blades with the power source to the unit turned off, many people have embraced a popular hack on TikTok that only requires ice.

To start, fill the garbage disposal with ice and then turn it on. After that, @soogia1 says to run the water and wait. As the disposal runs with the water, dirt and grime from the blade should loosen and rise to the surface, leaving it good as new. Some TikTokers also claimed they used soap and citrus peels with this hack in order to have a fresh smell at the end of the process. 

Several people in the comments tried this hack and had a few changes to make to protect the disposal. 

“I did this and ended up breaking my garbage disposal. I asked around and it turns out if you are going to do this it is best to use crushed ice,” replied @twilightseve22.

TikTokers aren’t the only ones who’ve embraced this hack. Even professional home renovators, like Royce Renovations (@royce_renovations), have added this trick to their arsenal.