Sorry I don't have an answer to the garbage disposal concern.  I had the
same fear when I moved into my current home.  I literally would stick my
hand down in the disposal prior to running it.  Sometimes it was really
gross (it had food in it!)
 
Anyway, one day when my fuzzies were out and about, I had colored my hair
using the kitchen sink.  My hair is dark brown...just like my sable boy.
That night all the ferrets were somewhere snoozing and I went to use the
garbage disposal, I reached in and pulled out a bunch of brown hair.  My
heart dropped like a stone and I panicked...searched the house for my
boys...then it dawned on me...duh...it was my hair!
 
Amy
[Posted in FML issue 3395]