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Coffee Tips

Can Coffee Grounds Go In Garbage Disposal?

Over the recent past, there is an increasing number of people who are brewing their own coffee at home. Brewing coffee at home allows you to make a morning cup of coffee that suits your taste preferences. However, making coffee at home comes with some drawbacks. One of the most notable drawbacks is the cleaning up involved after brewing coffee.

coffee grounds in garbage disposal

 

The main issue is disposing of the used coffee grounds after brewing. Some people flush them down the sink while others dump them in the garbage disposal. But can coffee grounds go in the garbage disposal? Read on to find out.

 

Can Coffee Grounds Go Down the Garbage Disposal?

There is an unending debate on whether coffee grounds can be put down the garbage disposal, sink, or drain. Most people assume that coffee grounds cannot cause any problems in the garbage disposal since it is designed to chop up food scraps and leftovers. Although it chops up food scraps successfully for disposal down the drain, certain items should never be put in the garbage disposal.

Grease and cooking oil are some of the obvious things that should never be poured down the garbage disposal. Another major kitchen waste product that should never be put in a garbage disposal is coffee grounds. But why is this so? Well, coffee grounds can clog the drain pipe. The damage may be severe, especially when the grounds accumulate in the drain pipe over time.

Ideally, some people flush coffee grounds with a large volume of water to push them down the drain pipes without causing any clogs or damage. However, you should only do this when you pour coffee grounds down the garbage disposal accidentally. It is not something you should do regularly. If you do it regularly, the grounds will eventually get stuck somewhere down the drain pipes.

If coffee grounds settle somewhere down the drain line, they may cause significant debris, dirt, grease, and oil build-up. Consequently, a clog will form. Unfortunately, some people assume coffee grounds are not large enough to clog the drain pipe. What they don’t know is that wet coffee grounds clump together, thereby becoming more challenging to go down the drain.

 

Unclogging Your Garbage Disposal Drainage

If you have been putting coffee grounds down the garbage disposal regularly, they may cause drainage issues. Once they build up, they will form a clog. If your drain pipes are clogged, they will drain slowly when the clog is minor or fail to drain at all when dealing with a serious clog. Here is how to unclog coffee grounds from your garbage disposal drainage.

1. Try chemical drain cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners or unblockers are effective in unblocking slow drains. They work by loosening the clog or dissolving it altogether. They are often expensive and come with some shortcomings. For instance, the chemicals are harmful to the environment and can eat away some pipes. Before buying a chemical drain cleaner, ensure it is safe for use on the type of your drain pipes. Some chemical drain cleaners are not ideal for use on PVC pipes while others shouldn’t be used on metal pipes.

2. Drain snake

You can try to feed a drain snake through the blocked drain pipe to unclog it. It should be long enough to reach the clog. If the clog is too deep down the drain to reach with a drain snake, you may try other methods to unblock it.

3. Plunger

Another effective way of unblocking a drain line is using a plunger. You only need some elbow grease to get the job done.

4. Call a plumber

Sometimes, unclogging the blockage might be beyond your skills. If all other methods fail, your last resort is to call a qualified plumber. They have the much-needed knowledge, skills, and tools to unclog the most severe drain blockages. Although the services of a professional plumber will cost you, you will learn a lesson not to dump coffee grounds in your garbage disposal again.

 

Summary- Can Coffee Grounds Go in Garbage Disposal?

After going through this article, it is clear that dumping coffee grounds in the garbage disposal is a bad idea. However, if you do it accidentally, flush the drain with a lot of water to prevent a blockage. Rather than risking your drainage system to serious clogs, recycle used coffee grounds in better ways such as for keeping pests away from your garden, making compost, and making a body scrub among other uses.