Being a new buyer comes with a steep learning curve, and summers has a way of speeding things up. I expected my air conditioning to get a exercise, but I didn’t believe drain issues to be one of the month’s major problems. Between trip friends, back picnics and more cleansing than normal, your plumbing ends up doing a lot of big pulling this time of year.
What caught me off watch wasn’t just how fast things clogged up, but how many everyday objects were to blame. It turns out, a handful of items I had been rinsing down the drain without a second thought are some of the worst offenders. If you want to maintain your pipes clear and prevent a mid-summer visit to the locksmith, it helps to know exactly what not to put down the drain. From cooking oils to coffee grounds, here are the typical culprits you may steer clear of if you want to prevent a major fill.
If you do own a blocked drain, read on. We asked a locksmith what to do to get things moving. Spoiler alert: It’s never using a chemical drain solution.
In this article, I’ll tell you about nine points you should never take swirling down the fall. Plus, I’ll give a few ideas for unclogging a discharge should you need to. Save your pipelines. Save your summers.
9 household products that will fill your discharge
Edible peeling
Carrot, corn and other fruit peels properly fit down the drain but that’s about the worst position you can place them. That natural refuse may cause backups and jammed drains faster than you can state” compost pile. ”
Speaking of which, a compost pile or natural spend computer is exactly where those substances may come. Here’s how to begin a compost pile if you’re new to the game.
Oil and grease
Oil and grease are two of the most common drain-clogging materials. Huge amounts of cooking oil left in the dish or a mountain of left pork fat from meal are surefire ways to build up sludge in your house pipes over period.
Oil should be fully cooled and placed in a sealed receptacle before being tossed. Pork fat and bacon grease can be used to flavor your next recipe or season a cast-iron skillet.
Read more : 8 Ways to Use Leftover Bacon Fat
Oil-based foods: Salad dressing, mayo, marinades, chili crisp
Try to avoid putting large amounts of mayo or salad dressing down the kitchen drain.
The same goes for oily foods including salad dressing, mayonnaise, marinades and more. A small spot of mayonnaise may not cause an issue, but dumping a whole bottle of past-its-prime balsamic dressing or teriyaki marinade could cause problems.
Heavily oil-based foods can’t be composted and should be tossed in the garbage.
Coffee grounds
Coffee grounds can be composted but they shouldn’t go in the sink.
If you make a pot of coffee every morning, disposing of the grounds is just part of the routine. Coffee grounds can be composted, but they should not go down the drain. Over time, coffee grounds will build up in the pipes and cause a backup.
If you don’t have one, consider starting a compost pile to keep food scraps from ending up in the sink and garbage. Use this helpful trick to avoid that compost pile stench in your kitchen. Or add a countertop food scrap processor like the Lomi or Mill Bin if composting isn’t in the cards.
Flour
Extra flour should be composted or thrown away.
If you’ve seen what happens to flour when it mixes with water, you know why it’s not a good idea to pour it down the drain. Imagine a dense bread dough trying to make its way through your pipes. Not pretty.
If you have leftover flour from a baking project or a recipe, you should compost it or else throw it away.
Dirt and soil
I’m admittedly guilty of this one. The kitchen sink seems like the perfect place to transfer an indoor plant from pot to pot, but soil and other dirt types can very easily clog your drain.
If you can do it without letting more than a few granules down the sink, you’ll probably be OK. If heaps of potting are involved, you’d be wise to take the project outside.
Rice and pasta
Be it cooked or uncooked, rice does not belong in your pipes. Compost it instead.
Unless you have a garbage disposal, no food scraps should be going down the drain. Rice and small pasta are especially tricky since they can sneak past your drain guard and end up in pipes they shouldn’t be.
To stop a starch-based clog before it happens, discard leftover grains and pasta in the compost pile or trash bin if you’re not composting.
Paper products
Paper products, no matter how thin, do not go down the kitchen drain.
There are no paper products that should go down the drain, even those made from thin compostable. Certain kitchen products like plates, bowls and napkins can be composted, but check carefully before adding them to your kitchen pile or smart kitchen bin. Otherwise, they should be tossed.
Paint
Oil-based paint is about the worst thing you could pour down the kitchen sink. Try mixing it with kitty litter until it dries before disposing of it.
I’ve been guilty of this one, too but it’s time to break the habit. Because paint is liquid, it might seem like a candidate for the kitchen sink, but it’s not. Paint adheres to pipes, and if it dries, it becomes a serious plumbing problem.
One genius hack for disposing of old paint: kitty litter. Mix some litter with the old paint can until it turns solid and toss it in the garbage. Check with your local sanitation service for certified disposal facilities for oil-based paints.
How to unclog a drain with household items
Is there anything baking soda and vinegar can’t do?
If your drain does clog, try a combination of vinegar, baking soda and boiling water. There are many reports from LifeProTips and Lifehacks Reddit threads of this quick fix saving homeowners in a pinch.
There are also chemical drain cleaners to help get things moving– although a plumber we spoke to told us why you should be cautious with chemical drain cleaners. To stop food and solids from getting into the kitchen drain, a $ 10 sink strainer will save you grief later on.
Most important is knowing which foods and household materials to keep out of the kitchen sink and avoid a clogged pipe catastrophe in the first place.
FAQ
What’s the best chemical cleaner I can use for a clogged drain?
After rigorous testing, CNET has determined the best overall chemical drain cleaner is Green Gobbler Main Line Opener. For a full list of our tested chemical drain cleaners, you can reference our best list here.
Do baking soda and vinegar really unclog drains?
Yes, baking soda and vinegar can be an effective method against minor clogs. However, this method is not recommended for severe clogs where it can create excessive pressure and damage the plumbing.
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