A garbage disposal makes life easier, especially when you’re cooking for a crowd. It handles scraps fast and keeps your kitchen clean. But even the best disposal has limits. It’s made for soft food waste, not whatever happens to be left on the plate.
In Las Vegas, people cook a lot at home, especially during the holidays. Thanksgiving turkeys, Christmas roasts, and weekend barbecues all mean more dishes and more cleanup. Every year, our plumbers see the same thing: clogged disposals and backed-up sinks caused by a few simple mistakes. Here are the top five things you should always keep out of your drain if you want to avoid an emergency call.
Clog Culprit 1: Fats, Oils, and Grease
Grease might look harmless when it’s hot, but the second it cools, it hardens inside your pipes like glue. It coats the line and traps other debris until nothing can get through.
During the holidays, it’s common to see people rinse turkey drippings or bacon grease right down the drain. It seems easy in the moment, but it’s one of the biggest causes of winter plumbing clogs in Las Vegas.
The Fix: Let grease cool in a jar or coffee can. Once it solidifies, throw it in the trash. If you pour even a little grease down the drain each day, it builds up fast, so this small habit can save you a major headache later.
Clog Culprit 2: Starchy and Expanding Foods
Rice, pasta, and potatoes are the sneaky cloggers. When they hit water, they swell and turn into a sticky mess that blocks the disposal and the drain line.
Think about all the mashed potatoes, pasta salads, and rice dishes made during the holidays. Those peels and leftovers often end up in the sink, and that’s when trouble starts.
The Fix: Scrape starches into the trash or compost instead. If a small amount ends up in the disposal, run plenty of cold water while it grinds. That helps push the particles through before they can clump up.
Clog Culprit 3: Fibrous Vegetables and Fruit Skins
Celery, asparagus, and onion skins seem harmless, but their stringy fibers can wrap around the impellers inside the disposal. Once that happens, the motor strains and can burn out.
We’ve seen plenty of jammed disposals caused by just a few artichoke leaves or citrus peels. The fibers tangle up inside and stop everything from spinning.
The Fix: Toss fibrous veggies in the trash or compost. If you’re cleaning produce and need to rinse a few scraps, cut them into small pieces first and use lots of cold water to flush them through.
Clog Culprit 4: Hard Pits, Shells, and Bones
If it’s hard enough to crack a tooth, it doesn’t belong in your garbage disposal. Chicken bones, shrimp shells, and fruit pits are too tough for the system to grind. They dull the impellers and can jam the mechanism entirely.
You’ll usually know right away when this happens because the disposal makes a harsh grinding noise or just hums without turning.
The Fix: Put bones, shells, and pits in the trash instead. For seafood, seal the waste in a small bag before tossing it to avoid lingering smells.
Clog Culprit 5: Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells
There’s a long-standing myth that coffee grounds and eggshells sharpen the disposal. They don’t. What they actually do is create a gritty sludge that settles in the pipes and traps grease on top of it.
The result is a heavy buildup that can clog your P-trap or slow down the entire drain line.
The Fix: Keep both out of your disposal. Coffee grounds make great compost or garden fertilizer, and eggshells can go straight in the trash.
When Vegas Plumbing Fails
Even if you’re careful, your disposal still takes a beating during big meals and family gatherings. Extra cooking, heavy cleaning, and all that food prep can overwhelm the system fast.
If you notice a humming noise, slow draining, or a foul smell from your sink, stop using the disposal and call a professional. Trying to fix it yourself with tools or chemicals can do more harm than good.
To help your system last longer, always run cold water for about 30 seconds before and after using the disposal. Cold water keeps grease solid so it can move out of the drain instead of sticking to the sides.
Anytime Plumbing has been serving the Las Vegas Valley since 1982, helping local families with fast, reliable plumbing service. From Summerlin to Henderson to North Las Vegas, our team is ready 24 hours a day to clear tough clogs and keep your kitchen running smoothly.
If your disposal stops working or starts making strange noises, don’t wait for it to turn into a bigger problem.
Call Anytime Plumbing and schedule your garbage disposal service today.
