It's easy to think of your kitchen sink as a catch-all for whatever refuse piles up while cooking. However, neither your drain nor your garbage disposal is equipped to handle certain foods. Many everyday foods are fibrous, and those little strings can quickly gum up the works of kitchen systems.

A specific type of fiber to watch out for is resistant starch, which is a harder starch for the human body to break down when digested. Avoid putting whole pieces or scraps of these foods down the drain. As fibers come apart from the base food, they can easily wrap around the blades of a garbage disposal, decreasing its effectiveness. The fiber pieces can also form clumps when wet, causing blockages in kitchen pipes that result in slower drainage.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and popcorn are all fibrous and can cause issues. Common fibrous fruits include apples, oranges, and avocados. Banana peels are especially fibrous and should never be sent down the drain. Dense veggies like carrots, broccoli, and artichokes are also fibrous. Chia seeds and bits of rice and pasta can also be detrimental to a kitchen sink's functions as these foods will expand in water and close off pipes.