It’s tempting to rinse everything down the kitchen sink and let the water carry it away. But grease, food scraps, and certain household chemicals can build up in your pipes, cause stubborn clogs, and lead to costly repairs.
A few small changes to your kitchen routine can save you from plumbing headaches later. Here are 10 things to keep out of your drain and what to do with them instead.
Cooking Oil and Grease
Cooking oil and grease can cause major problems for kitchen drains because they cool and thicken inside the pipes. Over time, they trap food scraps and other debris, slowing water flow.
Let leftover grease cool, then pour it into a disposable container and toss it in the trash. If your area has a cooking oil recycling program, use that instead.
Related: 12 Things You Should Never Do If You Want to Avoid Calling a Plumber
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds may look harmless going down the drain, but they don’t dissolve in water. They can settle in pipes, collect with grease, and cause clogs over time.
Put used coffee grounds in your compost bin instead. They can add to garden compost instead of becoming another source of plumbing trouble.
Related: One of the Best Uses for Leftover Coffee Grounds Has Nothing to Do With Coffee
Rice, Pasta, and Other Starchy Foods
Rice, pasta, oats, and similar foods can absorb water and swell after they enter your drain. They may also stick together and collect in pipes, slowing drainage and contributing to blockages.
Scrape leftover food into the trash or compost before washing your dishes. A sink strainer can catch smaller scraps that might otherwise slip down the drain.
Milk and Dairy Products
Pouring spoiled milk down the sink might seem like an easy way to get rid of it, but dairy contains fats that can cling to the inside of pipes. Repeatedly dumping dairy products down the drain can build up and cause unpleasant smells.
A small splash probably won’t cause an immediate clog, but it’s better to dispose of larger amounts another way. Check local waste disposal guidelines for the best way to handle spoiled dairy in your area.
Bleach and Harsh Cleaning Chemicals
Pouring strong cleaning products down the sink can cause problems beyond your home’s plumbing. Some chemicals can damage certain pipes, disrupt septic systems, or pass into waterways through wastewater.
Follow the disposal instructions on the product label instead of rinsing leftover chemicals away. Your local household hazardous waste program can tell you where to take products that need special handling.
Paint and Paint Thinners
Keep paint and paint thinner out of your kitchen sink, whether you’re cleaning up after a small project or emptying an old container. Paint can leave residue in pipes, while solvents contain chemicals that may harm plumbing systems and contaminate wastewater.
For small amounts of latex paint, follow local disposal rules, which may let you dry the paint before throwing it away. Take oil-based paint and paint thinner to an approved hazardous waste collection site.
Flour and Batter
Flour turns into a thick, sticky paste when mixed with water, which can clog kitchen drains. That paste can cling to pipe walls and catch other scraps as they pass through.
Scrape leftover flour, batter, and dough into the trash before washing bowls and utensils. Wiping out the bowl with a paper towel first can help keep more of the mess out of your pipes.
Eggshells
Eggshells don’t sharpen garbage disposal blades, despite a common kitchen myth. Their fragments can collect with grease and food debris, adding to the chance of a clog.
Save your eggshells for the compost bin if you have one. Eggshells make an excellent addition to this outdoor garden hack.
Dough
Bread dough, pizza dough, and other sticky mixtures can cling to the inside of your pipes and collect other scraps. Dough may also continue to change as it absorbs moisture, making a blockage harder to clear.
Scrape leftover dough into the trash or compost (where accepted) instead of rinsing it down the drain. Wipe mixing bowls and utensils before washing them to keep sticky bits out of the drain.
Medications
Don’t pour unused medications down the sink because some drug ingredients can pass through wastewater treatment and reach rivers, lakes, and other waterways. Pouring them down the drain can also make proper disposal harder.
Take unwanted medicine to a pharmacy take-back location or a community medication collection event. If neither option is available, check the medication label and local disposal guidance for the safest next step.
