Can you put eggs or eggshells in a garbage disposal?
YES, definitely. Eggshells are great for cleaning your garburator and as long as you run a few gallons of clean cold water after every garburator use, it or the drain will never back up. -The only things I advise to NEVER put down are rice and any bones (especially fishbones) - I replace and fix many garburators and drains so I know what I'm talking about.
Eggs and Shells in Garbage Disposals
Eggs and eggshells are probably alright to put down your garbage disposal. Here is more detailed advice and opinions:- Eggshells are very brittle and break as soon as the disposal is flipped on. You would be surprised what you can put down a disposal without doing any damage. Tip: Stay away from the outside of corn husks, and other stringy foods that may get tangled around the blade motor.
- Eggshells may not damage the disposal, but they may very well contribute to clogging pipes. I had a major clog under my house recently and the plumber saw eggshells (along with other stuff) come out with the roto-router. He said "never never put eggshells down the disposal". Then again, plumbers will tell you not to put ANYTHING down the drain so who knows. I think it depends on whether your house seems to be prone to clogs - mine certainly does!
- Yes. They disappear easily.
- We just had to replace a section of PVC pipe because of an impossible-to-dislodge blockage. When my husband took down the old pipes and looked inside, he saw TONS of egg shells. I won't be putting them down there ever again.
- Egg shells actually help clean the disposal by scraping away stubborn deposits or citric acid and pulp. Grinding a little ice is another way to clean out deposits and get rid of odors.
- Most definitely. They grind up easy. Don't worry about it.
- Yes. In fact. I always found that egg shells helped to keep the disposal clean. Maybe if you have an ancient unit, no, but otherwise it's no problem.
- It depends on the number of egg shells and the amount of water. If you put too many egg shells down the disposal because they get ground up so finely they get caught in the trap underneath the sink (this has happened to me twice) and the next time you use the dishwasher the water pressure, if you are lucky, causes the water to get backed up. If you are unlucky, like myself, it causes the pressure to build up in the pipes until the force apart and spew water under the sink during the night and you are left with a soggy mess. One or two egg shells with a lot of water is ok but three or more seems to be a bad idea!!!
- We also learned our lesson the hard way. Our family consumes about 18 eggs each week. It has happened twice now - after about a year, the trap will become completely clogged with eggshells. Don't put eggshells down the disposal!
- As a Building Engineer, I can say without a doubt, Do not put egg shells through your garbage disposal! They lie in the bottom of your sewer pipes and will eventually clog. So please use trash or be ready to hand a plumber at least $150 to unclog.
I have put egg shells down gargage disposals since my first one in 1950 and never had a problem, but I am sure they can become a problem if not a part of other items and a good flush for the load. I believe it's like an intestinal tract that needs roughage. I never hesitate to put cherry pits, nut shells, citrus peels, celery and romaine down the disposal. Corn husks are the only never never item I can think of.