A person in Springfield, IL pouring an unknown liquid substance down their kitchen sink drain that is preventing water from draining correctly.

4 Things You Should Never Put Down Your Kitchen Drain

For safety and sanitary reasons, you want to always keep in mind that there is a proper way to dispose of unwanted materials, especially leftover food. It’s great to have a garbage disposal, but that doesn’t mean you can put anything and everything down your kitchen drain. When you have questions or concerns, we recommend you contact our experts at Eddington Plumbing, Inc. in Springfield, IL. If you want to avoid clogs or other problems with your system, we suggest reviewing the most common things that should not be put down your kitchen drain, and some of them may surprise you.

Coffee Grounds

The first clog culprit is something most of us use every day: coffee grounds. After you make your morning cup of Joe, don’t dispose of the used grounds in your sink. They are not entirely water-soluble, so if they mix with other materials that are likely already coating your pipes, like oil and grease, there will be a greater chance of clogs forming. When a clog forms, you can always call one of our Eddington Plumbing, Inc. technicians to restore your system, but if you want to avoid that situation, we recommend throwing your coffee grounds in the trash can instead.

Pasta and Rice

Pasta and rice are staples in most homes for simple family dinners. Since these dishes are easy to make, they are made quite often. But did you know that you should not dispose of the excess food in the kitchen sink when your kids don’t finish their dinner (a frequent occurrence in every home)? As you know from making pasta, the noodles absorb water and will continue to expand every time you run the faucet and send more water through the drain. The sticky flour can then clog up the pipes. The same is true for rice, which can easily fall down the drain and swell with the absorbed water it encounters, further clogging your pipes.

Butter or Margarine

As a rule, you should avoid putting anything down your kitchen sink with high-fat levels, including products containing oil, grease, and butter. If fat gets into your drain, it will end up clumping up in your pipes, and over time, the accumulation of fat can act like adhesive glue. Likewise, when you flush anything else down the garbage disposal, it will likely stick to fat, which can quickly lead to significant blockage in your home’s pipes. So, do not flush butter or margarine down your kitchen sink. Even when it’s melted, it can still congeal and build up over time, creating a water-resistant barrier. We understand mistakes happen, and our team at Eddington Plumbing, Inc. offers our professional drain cleaning services to rectify the situation.

Eggshells

Eggs are another common food in your kitchen that you may consume regularly. Though it may be easier, you do not want to dispose of your discarded eggshells in your kitchen sink. The shells are bad for the disposal blades, and once their ground up, tiny pieces of the shell can combine with other blockages and worsen the accumulation. The eggshell membranes can be a problem, too, as they can wrap around the disposal blades. Again, you don’t want to put anything down your drain that could damage its functionality over time.

Contact Eddington Plumbing for Drain Cleaning Services

If you have put one of these items down your kitchen sink and are experiencing problems with your plumbing, don’t stress. You can call our experts at Eddington Plumbing, Inc. in Springfield, IL, at 217.529.1000, and we will gladly assist you with whatever issue you’re facing. No clog stands a chance against our equipment and expertise. So contact us today to learn about all the services we provide.

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