What Not to Put Down Your Kitchen Drain
Though you may not notice it, the drain in your kitchen sink is one of the most important spots in your home. It's easy to grab your dinner leftovers and toss them down the drain. You might send other things down the drain because you don't want to deal with the snow or ice outside. The problem is that some substances can damage your pipes and cause leaks that take a lot of time and money to fix. Avoid those problems with a look at the four things you should never put down your kitchen drain.
Fats and oils
Whether you made a batch of fries and chicken for your family or you have some grease left at the bottom of a pan, you might feel tempted to pour it into the sink. You should never add any form of fat or oil to your drain, including:
Butter
Drained cooking fats
Bacon grease
Cooking oils
All of those substances are dangerous because they dry to your pipes. They go in as a liquid and quickly cool and congeal inside the pipes. If it causes drains to back up and overflow, then it may attract ants, mice, and other animals that live around your home and require pest control later.
Old medications
Over-the-counter and prescription medications contain ingredients that are harmful to the environment. Do not pour any pills or liquid medications into your drain. The medicines are not removed in the wastewater treatment process and can be transferred into public waterways. Ask your pharmacist where to dispose of expired or unused medications.
Flour
Do you remember being a kid and making paper-machete glue from flour and water? Now you have an idea of why flour is dangerous to your kitchen drain. Even if you just add a sprinkle of flour, it will mix with any other liquids to form a pasty substance that sticks to the inside of your pipe. You also want to avoid putting pasta and rice down the drain.
Trash
Creating a functional kitchen space often involves the addition of a garbage disposal. Never treat this appliance as a catchall for all of your garbage or as a trash compactor. It can only handle certain types of trash.
When you wash fruits and veggies, you might shrug when you see stickers going down the drain. Those stickers can adhere to the pipes and cause clogs. They can also get into the Indianapolis wastewater treatment plant and cause even more problems. Other types of trash you should never put down your kitchen drain include plastic wrappers, disposable wipes, and coffee grounds.
Putting the wrong things down your kitchen drain can result in huge clogs. The only way to get rid of some clogs is with help from a local plumbing company like Mr. Plumber in Indianapolis. Learning what not to put in the drain helps you avoid those costly and expensive repairs.
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