Foods That Always Lead to a Clogged Kitchen Sink
Posted by Moore Home Services
Plumbing
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s easy to lose track of what you’re putting down the drain. Oftentimes, you’re in the kitchen, working up a sweat while creating a lavish meal for the whole family, you have a dirty dish and in your haste everything goes down the disposal; for your sake, we’re begging you, please don’t do this. Because of clogged sinks, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times for plumbers. To keep your home plumber-free this holiday season, here are the foods that always lead to a clogged kitchen sink.
Cooking Oils, Butters, and Fats
One of the biggest no-no’s when it comes to drains is grease, cooking oils, fats, and butters. Though these seem like liquid while you’re cooking, as they cool, they harden and create a gross sludge that will inevitably clog your drain. When cool, these cooking oils congeal and build a water-resistant wall that attracts other debris. To properly dispose of any cooking oil, butter, grease or fat, simply empty your pan into a separate container—we prefer an old-fashioned coffee can—and throw that into the trash.
Eggshells
There was a rumor floating around that eggshells will help sharpen your disposal blades. We are here to tell you this is a myth and you should never dump eggshells down the drain. Instead of sharpening a disposal’s blades, eggshells will break into tiny shards which can easily add to preexisting clogs; also, the egg membrane can get wrapped around the disposal motor and cause expensive damage. Compost or trash your eggshells.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are not water soluble. Contrary to popular belief, they do not break down in water and can compound any mess that’s already in your pipes. Instead of dumping them down your sink, you can use coffee grounds for a huge number of things around the house. They act as a natural fertilizer for most plants, you can rub them on your face or hands as an exfoliant, use them to neutralize odors in your fridge, or they can be composted. Just don’t put them down the sink.
Pasta and Rice
Do you want a clogged kitchen sink? An easy to way to get there is by dumping pasta and rice down the disposal. When pastas and rice are immersed in water, they swell and continue to expand in your pipes. This leads to big problems within your plumbing system. Next time be sure to scrape all pasta and rice remnants in the trash before washing.
Stringy vegetables
We all know what stringy, or fibrous, vegetables are like. Take a bite into a piece of asparagus and sometimes you’re stuck with a string or two in your teeth. Now, imagine that, but in your sink. When we say, “stringy vegetables,” we mean celery, leafy greens, asparagus, onions, and artichokes. When put through the garbage disposal, these vegetables don’t break down enough, and eventually cause a clogged kitchen sink.
Drain Cleaner
While we’re at it, let’s add drain cleaner to this list. Though it may be tempting to dump a drain cleaning product, such as Drano, down a clogged kitchen sink, don’t do it. Chemical solutions designed to unclog your drain can cause monumental damage to your pipes, and the whole sewage system. Over time, these drain cleaners can corrode pipes, dissolve glue that hold pipes together, and even crack your toilet bowl. Leave any drain cleaning to the professionals, like the plumbers at Moore Home Services.
Are you Having Issues with a Clogged Kitchen Sink?
Is your drain backed up? Did you dump anything suspect? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then its time to give the talented plumbers at Moore Home Services a call. Our plumbers are on standby waiting to clean out your clogged kitchen sink. We hope you don’t have to call us, but if you ever do, we’re here for you. Simply call to speak with one of our friendly customer service representatives, or fill out this linked form, to schedule an appointment.
