Garbage disposal makes food waste disposal a breeze. Usually mounted on a sink’s underside, garbage disposal collects solid food waste into its grinding chamber. It then pulverizes the waste and washes them away through a hole in the chamber.
Garbage disposal collects various food wastes, and thus, it can become smelly over time. And you don’t want your garbage disposal or sink to get to this level. It could make the kitchen uncomfortable and appear unhygienic.
For this reason, many people have resulted to using lemons. Because of their antibacterial properties, lemons can ensure your garbage disposal doesn’t smell.
But, while many feel putting lemons in the garbage disposal is a bad idea, others think otherwise. So, if you’re using or contemplating putting lemons in your garbage disposal, this article is for you.
Please read from start to finish, so you’ll have the information to make an informed decision.
Read: Can You Put Popcorn Kernels in the Garbage Disposal?
Is It OK to Put Lemons in the Garbage Disposal?
No, it’s not ok. Lemon can prevent rotten odor from popping out of your sink drain and garbage disposal. But it’s not a wise option to use. Why? It could create a problem with your sink drain.
Now, this is what happens. The garbage disposal would cut the lemon into tiny pieces once turned on. Unfortunately, the peels and pieces could enter the drain line and clog it.
But, what if one prefers using lemons? If you prefer using lemon to clean up your garbage disposal, then go ahead and use it. Just make sure you don’t throw whole or half lemons into the machine.
Instead, use the lemon juice to deodorize the garbage disposal. And make sure you don’t use it constantly.
The reason people are advised against using lemon juice to clean up their garbage disposal is because of its acidity. It’s customary with citruses.
Why regular use of lemon juice is dangerous is that it could corrode your disposal’s metal parts. And when this happens, the machine won’t be able to function effectively.
The reason many people argue that lemon is better than a chemical-based option is that lemon is natural. And being natural, it won’t harm the machine.
However, the claim that lemon is natural and better than chemical-based options is correct. But, stating that it won’t harm the garbage disposal is not accurate.
So, please stop putting lemon in your garbage disposal. It can clog your sink drain, forcing you to seek plumbing services.
Can You Put Lemon Peels in the Garbage Disposal
Again, the answer is No! Don’t put lemon peels in your garbage disposal. The same goes for orange and lime. You could put your waste machine in danger by so doing.
Most people may argue that putting lemon peel in the garbage disposal isn’t bad or harmful to the machine. They may even base their arguments that peels are quite tinier than using a whole or cut lemon.
But that’s not true. The lemon peels can clog your disposal, forcing you to seek plumbing service, which costs money.
Here is a list of other things that should never enter your garbage disposal.
Eggshells
Avoid throwing eggshells into your disposal machine. They can clog the inside of the device.
Meat
Whether it’s the meat or its skin, avoid putting it in your garbage disposal. This also applies to bones and fat.
Vegetable or fruit peelings
Desist from putting fruit or vegetable peelings in your machine. These include carrot peeling, cucumber, sweet potatoes, and so on. That’s because the peels can jam your device. It could even get stuck on the side of your pipes or garbage disposal.
Cereal
Avoid putting oatmeal, rice, grits, or pasta in your garbage machine. They can get your pipes clogged.
How Long Do Lemons Last When You Cut Them?
A cut lemon may not stay fresh longer than a whole one, but it can last for days if stored properly.
If you store cut lemon in a fridge, it should last for 3 to 4 days. And it’s not like the lemon would get spoilt after this period, but it would dry out a bit.
Here’s how to store your cut lemons correctly:
Wrap lemons properly
The reason for storing cut lemon is to have the opportunity to use it when the need arises. That’s why it’s necessary to store your cut lemon well. Please put them in a plastic bag and wrap them properly. You can also wrap them in wax paper or aluminum foil.
However, when you wrap cut lemon in a plastic bag, be sure to squeeze out the air. By so doing, you’ll enable the cut lemon to retain its vitamin C for days.
A Handy Tip: Be sure to keep your cut lemon in the fridge not less than 2 hours after cutting it.
Monitor the quality
It’s essential to observe your cut lemon’s quality before, including while in the fridge. If you discover that your lemon is already sour when you cut it, don’t bother freezing it. Just discard it immediately.
When the cut lemon is in the fridge, you should monitor its quality after 3 or 4 days of storage. If you discover mold growing on the surface or that the surface has become slimy, discard the lemon without hesitation.
If mold has started growing on the surface, you can’t do anything about it. Before the mold appeared on the surface, it has already gotten deeper. So don’t try cutting off the surface, and then assume that you have removed the mold. Nothing has changed.
Just discard the lemon and get another fresh one. Besides, lemons are cheap fruits and are readily available.
Read: Can You Put Watermelon Rinds in a Garbage Disposal?
Juice your lemons
If you have a bunch of cut lemons you don’t plan to use in the next few days, make plans to juice them. By the way, it’s the juice you need, not the whole lemon, which includes the rind.
Excitingly, the lemon juice can last for 3 to 4 months. Now, here’s another interesting tip. Pour the juice into an ice-cube tray and store it in your freezer. Once frozen, remove the cubes and store them in a plastic bag.
If you want to incorporate lemon juice in your food or whatever it is you’re drinking, you can use one or two ice cubes. But keep the remaining lemon juice turned cubes in the freezer.
Here’s a breakdown of how long you can store lemons, both whole and half.
Whole lemon: In the fridge, it would last up to 21 days. In the freezer, the entire lemon can last up to 4 months.
Cut lemon: Your cut lemon can remain fresh in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. In the freezer, your cut lemon can retain its freshness for up to 4 months.
How Do You Dispose of Lemons?
Throwing old lemons in the garbage disposal for the machine to grind them is quite an easy and quick way to dispose of them. Unfortunately, it’s not safe to put a whole lemon, cut, or rind in the disposal.
However, there are other simple ways you can discard your lemon. Let’s go through them.
1. Toss old lemons into your bin
Instead of throwing your old lemons, throw them in your refuse bin.
Lemon smells nice. So, you won’t have any concerns about the smell. When the lemon juice encounters other smelly stuff in your refuse bin, they may work some magic.
2. Incorporate into your compost
If you have a backyard garden, try to incorporate old lemons into your compost piles.
However, claims that lemon peels can raise compost pile’s acidity aren’t false. They can. But does that make it dangerous or harmful to your garden and crops? Not at all! You could even profit by incorporating lemon in your compost pile.
How? The peels’ strong scent can prevent raccoons and rodents from tampering with your compost pile.
Furthermore, if you would like to combat the fruit peels’ high acidity in the compost pile, incorporate more grass clippings.
Citrus peels can replenish your compost pile with potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. They contain a great deal of these minerals.
3. Get your sink polished
Before tossing your old lemons into the refuse bin, use them to polish your kitchen sink. The sink happens to be the grimiest place in the kitchen. So, it could use some polishing.
Sprinkle a considerable amount of coarse salt on the sink, get a cut lemon, and scrub the sink’s surface with it. Please don’t scrub too hard and avoid surfaces that can scratch. Use the cut lemons one after the other, and clean the sink gently.
In addition to helping to bring back your sink’s sparkling appearance, the lemon juice can get rid of a reasonable amount of gems in your sink.
Read: Can Apple Cores Go in the Garbage Disposal?
Conclusion
If you’re fond of putting lemon in your garbage disposal, please stop doing that. You may end up clogging the machine or your sink drain. At best, you can squeeze out and use the lemon juice. But keep in mind that the juice is acidic and so can corrode your machine’s metal parts.
So, whether it’s the cut lemon or the peel, don’t put either in your garbage disposal. You can also read this post for clues on how to dispose of your old lemons.