When the kitchen floor is flooded, plumbing has gone bust, and the home insurance man comes around, if you have put any of the following in it then he will probably refuse to pay out on the basis that your negligence caused the damage.

Paper – The inside machinery gets clogged up as soon as the paper gets wet.

Plastic – This is simply too tough to process.

Bones – What do you think is going to happen to that bone once its in the garbage disposal?

Eggshells – Bad, they only clog your disposal system.

Grease – The same way it will clog your kitchen sink drain, it will clog your disposal system.

Stringy Vegetables – They wrap around the inside machinery.

Coffee Grounds – A basket full of grounds from your coffee maker? You are looking for trouble.

Rice & Noodles – This one is a surprise to most people, but its a starch will give your garbage disposal indigestion.

You must be wondering – so what can I put in there? Your plate scraps are fine, as are small bits of meat and chopped up veggies (but remember to avoid the stems). Apply some common sense and you should be ok. The golden rule though is "If in doubt, keep it out".

Now you know what items to keep out of your garbage disposal, here are some tips for keeping it in good condition…

- Whenever it is on, make sure the water is running too.

- Occasionally put ice in there as it will scrape off food items stuck to the side of the tube.

- Put lemon or lime juice in it to keep it smelling fresh.

Doing all of the above will ensure that your garbage disposal stays in good working order. They are not cheap pieces of equipment so, to avoid a difficult conversation with an impossible home insurance man, make sure that you look after yours.

http://www.henryinsurance.com is a reputable home insurance website that meets all of your homeowners insurance needs.