Your kitchen sink looks like it can swallow anything. Then one slow Sunday it gurgles, backs up, and you are standing there with a plunger and a sinking feeling.
Most of what ends up stuck in our pipes went down on purpose, by habit. Here are 10 things to keep out of your kitchen drain, based on guidance from the City of Madison, Wisconsin, Engineering Division and from Reader’s Digest.
The City of Madison puts it plainly in its “Do Not Put Down The Drain” guidance: even items labeled “flushable” can clog pipes, tangle pumps and cause messy and costly sewer backups. Local rules vary, so check with your own city or water utility too.
Grease And Cooking Oil Harden Into A Pipe-Blocking Plug
The City of Madison says grease hardens as it cools, which causes problems in city sewer mains and in homeowners’ own sewer lines. Its advice is simple: let cooking oil or grease harden, then put it in the trash.
Reader’s Digest adds that grease forms sticky clogs and notes that the EPA links grease and fats to a large share of sewer overflows. That bacon pan is not worth a plumber’s bill.
Coffee Grounds Look Harmless But They Settle In Your Pipe Bends
Madison lists coffee grounds among the things to keep out of the sink. Reader’s Digest explains why: the grounds settle in pipe bends, trap other debris, and can contribute to rust, corrosion and clogs.
The trash can or a compost pile is a better home for them.
Eggshells Do Not Dissolve The Way You Think
Eggshells are on Madison’s do-not-drain list. Reader’s Digest says small fragments stick to pipe walls and catch other food particles, leading to slow drains and smelly sinks.
Scrape them into the trash instead of trusting the disposal to make them disappear.
Flour Turns Into Paste Inside Your Plumbing
It seems silly to worry about a little flour. But Reader’s Digest says flour mixed with water forms a paste that hardens inside pipes and is hard to remove.
Madison also names flour on its list. Wipe sticky baking bowls with a paper towel before they hit the sink.
Old Medications Do Not Belong Down Any Drain
Madison lists vitamins, medicines and pharmaceuticals among the items to keep out of the drain. Reader’s Digest reports that medications pass through wastewater treatment and can enter rivers, lakes and groundwater, harming fish and wildlife.
Ask your pharmacy or local police department whether a drug take-back program is near you. Programs differ by community.
Those Little Produce Stickers Are Sneakier Than You Think
Madison specifically lists produce stickers. Reader’s Digest says they stick to pipes, clog strainers and jam disposal blades, and they do not break down in waterways.
Peel them off your apples and drop them in the trash before you wash anything.
Celery, Potato Peels And Other Stringy Foods Wrap Around Disposal Blades
Madison names fibrous foods such as celery, corn husks and asparagus, plus potato peels. Reader’s Digest says potato peels, broccoli stems and celery strings wrap around blades or lodge in pipes and form mats that block the flow of water.
Your disposal is not a garbage can with a motor. Treat it gently.
Paint, Solvents And Harsh Chemicals Can Damage Pipes And Treatment Systems
Madison lists paints, solvents, paint thinner, gasoline and other flammable products as things never to pour down the sink. For chemicals and paints, the city points residents to Dane County Clean Sweep, its local drop-off.
Reader’s Digest says solvents and harsh chemicals corrode pipes, pass through treatment plants, and can disrupt treatment systems and harm aquatic life, according to the EPA. Look up the hazardous waste program in your own county.
Citrus Peels Bounce Around And Wear Down Your Disposal
Reader’s Digest reports that citrus peels and seeds bounce around inside the disposal and can wear down its motor. A few now and then may not sink a household, but a pile of lemon rinds after a party is another story.
Toss them in the compost or the trash and let the motor rest.
Paper Towels And Wipes Are A Clog Waiting To Happen
The City of Madison lists paper towels, napkins, and baby, disinfectant and moist wipes among the items that should never go down the drain. The city warns that even items labeled flushable can clog pipes and tangle pumps.
The rule of thumb is easy. If it is not water, a little soap, or well-chewed food your disposal can handle, it belongs in the trash.
What To Do Right Now
A clog rarely comes from one big mistake. It builds up from small habits repeated for years, a little grease here and a few grounds there, until the pipe finally says enough.
Keep a small lidded container by the stove for used grease and let it harden before it goes in the trash. Put a scrap bowl beside the sink so peels, shells and grounds never reach the drain.
Check your city’s website for a household hazardous waste drop-off and a medication take-back option. Your pipes, and your wallet, will thank you. A few small habits can save you from a very bad holiday weekend.
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