What You Should Never Put in Your Kitchen Sink

Are you looking forward to a year of spring grilling, summer picnics, fall cookouts, and winter celebrations? After enjoying all those tasty dishes, think twice before sending all the waste down the kitchen sink.

Even if you have a garbage disposal, some items belong in your trash can or compost bin rather than in your plumbing. Here are several items that many people toss into their pipes, only to wind up with kitchen sink plumbing maintenance and repair issues. We will discuss how these elements are hurting your sink plumbing, and how you should properly dispose of them.

1. Grease

Waiting for your hot grease to solidify so you can toss it in the garbage can be tough. Practice patience and never pour cooking oil into the sink. Although it looks like the fats have been whisked away, the grease actually sticks to the inside of your kitchen sink disposal and plumbing fixtures, attracting more dirt and creating clogs.

2. Raw Flour

Making a batch of your famous brownies? Instead of tossing spilled flour into your sink, vacuum it up or brush it into a dustpan to dispose of in the trash can. Flour expands when it mixes with water and may coat the interior of your pipes with a thick, paste-like substance.

3. Pills

Over-the-counter or prescription pills should never be sent down the sink or flushed down the toilet. When you put your unused medication into the sewer, you could potentially cause serious harm in area waterways. Most municipalities, hospitals, and police departments have places for safe pill drop-off.

4. Coffee Grounds

That morning roast smells divine, but save your coffee grounds for the compost pile, not the kitchen sink. Plumbers frequently cite coffee grounds as a clogged culprit because they tend to stick around.

5. Paper Products

From produce stickers to paper towels, any paper item should go in the trash. Remind kids of this fact, too. Sometimes children think that a garbage disposal can "eat up" facial tissues, only to discover the unpleasant truth after their parents have to call for plumbing maintenance.

6. Eggshells

For decades, homeowners believed the myth that it was a good idea to put eggshells into their kitchen sinks. In reality, eggshell pieces can quickly add up and cause blockages. Even if you have a powerful garbage disposal, you are better off composting or trashing your eggshells.

7. Rice and Pasta

Rice and pasta do not flow smoothly through your pipes. They often bloat up and stick to lingering grease and debris on their way to the sewer. Scrap these items off your plate before rinsing the plate in the sink.

8. Bones and Fruit Pits

These hard items can jam up your garbage disposal. Even if they do make it into your pipes, they can wreak havoc by starting or worsening blockages. Remember to toss them after food preparation.

Want to keep your plumbing as healthy as possible? Schedule a visit from one of our expert technicians.