What You Should Never Pour Down the Kitchen Sink

With more time spent at home since the onset of the pandemic, many also take the opportunity to enjoy making meals at home in the kitchen. When it comes to cleaning up after cooking, it’s important to take care of your drains and beware of what you pour down the kitchen sink.

Generally, you should clear all plates, pots and utensils from food scraps before washing up, or place a sink strainer on top of the drain to catch anything that is too big to go down. However, any type of fat, grease or oil, even in liquid form that can filter through the strainer, can still cause havoc with your drains. 

What happens to the grease?

Even though you might think it’s fluid and will flow away, the fatty and oily grease that you pour down the drain doesn’t stay that way. The grease once down the drain will cool down quickly and solidify, which begins the process of a blocked drain. Think of it as how our arteries can get clogged with high cholesterol or fats, similarly, we need to take care of the health of our drains and pipes by avoiding a build-up of grease.

How should I dispose of grease?

So, you might think, I can just flush the grease down the toilet and flush it, problem solved! Well, unfortunately, this will also have the same effect and clog up your sewers from solidification. The best way to dispose of grease is to wipe it down into the rubbish bin with a paper towel, or wait until it cools down and hardens, then scrapping it into the bin. 

What if I have a blocked drain?

If you have been unintentionally pouring grease and fats down the kitchen drain, or washing heavily oily pans and pots in the sink, then you might already notice a problem with slow-moving or blocked drain holes. As the grease solidifies inside the pipes, this acts as a trap for any other kind of debris which slowly will build up to the point where nothing else can get through. 

When this happens, you can try to dissolve the grease by pouring a mixture of vinegar and baking soda down the drain, waiting several minutes, then pouring in a kettle full of hot boiling water. This should help move some of the clogged passages to avoid an overflowing sink. 

Removing the blockage with professional help

However, you should also call a professional plumber to ensure the blockage is cleared properly and thoroughly before you encounter larger problems such as a burst pipe or damage due to pressure build-up. This is especially the case if the blockage is further spread down the line, causing issues throughout the whole home.

Thankfully, blocked drains are no fuss for our team at Wild Water Plumbing. 

We come in and sort out the issue with state-of-the-art technology, utilising CCTV drain cameras and advanced hydro-jetting equipment to clear your drains thoroughly. 

Call us on 0405 692 151 to have your blocked drain issues resolved today.