What To Avoid Putting Down Your Kitchen Sink
It is easy to resort to putting extra food or substances down your kitchen sink, especially in a hurry. However, there are a variety of items your kitchen sink can not withstand. Putting just anything down your sink can create quite a mess and lead to expensive repairs, as well as other negative impacts. In this article, we discuss certain items to avoid putting down your kitchen sink in Mount Vernon, WA and the damage each can cause.
8 Things To Not Put Down Your Sink
Unfortunately, your garbage disposal can’t handle a handful of food related items either. It is important to pay attention to which items go down the drain, because some things can lead to clogs and sink repairs. While we love to visit with our customers, we hope it isn’t due to an uncomfortable and stressful situation with your plumbing! Below are eight things to not put down your kitchen sink in Pierce County, WA and surrounding areas.
- Coffee Grounds
- Pasta & Rice
- Eggshells
- Grease & Oils
- Dairy Products
- Paint
- Fibrous Vegetables
- Flour
Coffee Grounds
Many homeowners are aware that coffee grounds should never go down the sink, but are unsure as to why. Coffee grounds should always be put in the trash can or naturally recycled, because the grounds clump together in the presence of water rather than separating. Eventually the grounds will build up in your kitchen drain and lead to a smelly, costly kitchen sink clog in Mount Vernon, WA.
Pasta & Rice
Contrary to popular belief, you should not put pasta or rice down your sink. No matter if pasta or rice is cooked or uncooked, both textures can create problems for your sink and drainage system. When uncooked, both pasta and rice expand in your drain and create a blockage. When cooked, putting pasta and rice down your kitchen sink can create a thick paste once crushed by the garbage disposal. Both uncooked and cooked pasta and rice can lead to sink clogs and a damaged garbage disposal, and we recommend disposing of the food items in the trash can from now on.
Eggshells
When baking or cooking, it is easy to throw eggshells in the sink rather than attempting to open your trash can. However, eggshells can create some serious kitchen sink problems in Pierce County, WA and should always be thrown in the trash or removed from the sink after cooking.
Grease & Oils
When grease and oils are hot, they can seem like any other liquid that would go straight down the kitchen sink. However when the temperature lowers within grease and oils, it solidifies and can form a clog. When cool, the grease consistency resembles a butter texture. If grease or oil solidifies within your kitchen drain or sewer line, it creates a blog that is extremely difficult to remove. The blockage can result in a costly sink repair and unclogging service.
Dairy Products
When milk expires, your first thought may be to pour it down the drain and recycle the container. However, pouring milk and other dairy products down your kitchen sink is actually causing more harm than good to the environment! The process of breaking down milk and other dairy requires a significant amount of oxygen, which deprives necessary oxygen from living things that need it. Essentially – pouring milk and other dairy products down the drain in Snohomish County, WA and surrounding areas can suffocate water life, such as fish.
Paint
Just because it’s a liquid, does not mean it should be poured down the drain! When disposing of paint, you should never put it down your kitchen sink due to the drain and environmental problems it can cause. Paint can coat your drains and create clogs, damage your septic system, and pollute the groundwater supply and environment. If the paint is oil based, take it to an appropriate disposal drop-off site due to the hazardous materials it contains. Other paints we recommend drying out and putting in your garbage.
Fibrous Vegetables
The kitchen sink is an easy way to dispose of cooking scraps, but be sure to pick our certain ingredients before letting them go down your drain! Carrots, celery and other fibrous vegetables should not be put down your kitchen sink due to the damage it can cause to your garbage disposal. The scraps can get caught in the disposal blades and lead to food build-up. This can create bad odors and a potential sink clog!
Flour
Similar to pasta and rice, flour can cause a nasty clogged drain and headache for homeowners. Flour mixed with water can stick to the sides of your pipes and eventually lead to a sink clog. We recommend avoiding putting flour in your sink to keep it working effectively!
Your sink is an important part of your kitchen, and it is important to keep it in good condition for your comfort and convenience! If you take care of your plumbing, it will take care of you in return. However, kitchen sinks can clog from time to time even if you think you are taking the best care of it! For kitchen sink clogs or other plumbing services in Mount Vernon, WA and surrounding areas, give the experts at Full Speed Plumbing a call for speedy repairs!