Garbage disposals are installed in more than half of American homes today. In fact, they are often marked as a must-have option on apartment and home buyers’ wish lists when searching for places to live because garbage disposals make cleaning significantly easier.

Although garbage disposals have been used widely for decades, there are still a lot of myths surrounding their use and maintenance. While some of these misconceptions are harmless, others have the potential to cause serious damage to your disposal unit or to your pipes.