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Can You Put Whole Lemon in a Garbage Disposal

Bowl full of lemons on a wooden table

There is a heated debate.This is a subject that has clear lines drawn and there are probably as many people on each side of the argument declaring they are right. Both sides have also had success using lemons their way when it comes to lemons and garbage disposals.

Most likely, this argument will never be over, and people will either advocate the use of lemons in your disposal or they will say not to do it. However, you should continue to read our article.

The information it contains may surprise you so take a few minutes to see if you are right or wrong.

Can You Put Lemons Rinds in the Garbage Disposal

Lemon peels on a cutting board surrounded by whole and cut lemons.

When it comes to whole lemons and their rinds, it is not a good idea to put them into your garbage disposal. The rinds are tough and if left in large pieces, they can clog up either your disposal or your drain.

Putting lemon rinds or even whole lemons into a disposal is like putting banana peels and orange rinds in the garbage disposal. Just do not do it. Even though you like that lemony fragrance, the only way you can do this is to make sure those rinds and whole lemons are cut up into small pieces.

Now, there may be some more powerful disposals that can handle both lemon rinds and whole lemons, but they have to be at 1 HP minimum to do so or have the upgraded chopping technology that more modern disposals come with.

Without that extra power, it is best to either cut those lemons up or throw them in your trash or compost pile.

How to Get Rid of Those Foul Odors

2 lemon halves in a stainless steel sink

This is the other part of the lemon debate. Many people use lemons to get rid of the foul odors that most, if not all, garbage disposals get after a while. However, you should only use lemon juice to freshen your appliance and not that frequently.

Lemon juice is acidic and can harm the metal portions of your disposal if you use too much, too frequently. Baking soda is the safest way to get rid of those foul odors.

Some Final Words

3 lemons on a lemon tree

When in doubt do not do it. Those are good words to go by when you are thinking about what to put into your garbage disposal. Opt for the trash can or compost pile instead.

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