Food You Should Never Put Down the Kitchen Sink

When you are washing dishes in the kitchen sink, do you scrape away the leftover food beforehand? While this can seem like a trivial question at first, it is one that is very important to answer. If you do not do this, you could be increasing your chances of experiencing a blocked drain.

Photo by Taelynn Christopher on Unsplash

Indeed, there are some foods that you should always put into the trash instead of washing away down the kitchen drain. Are you not sure what they are? Here are some culprits that are capable of blocking a drain. 

Pasta

First of all, let’s start with pasta. Perhaps you have cooked too much and there is some leftover on your plate. You might think about simply cleaning your dishes and allowing the leftover pasta to go down the drain. But, this is a big mistake. 

Pasta is known as a starchy food. In other words, it is going to swell when it is exposed to water. So, while pasta starts hard, it softens and this makes it sticky and larger. So, think about what is going to happen if the pasta ends up in the pipes. It has the potential to stick to other debris, as well as get larger when water runs through it. If you do discover you have a blockage, it is best to contact experts. For instance, FS Drainage has a team that can clear the clogged drain efficiently. This ensures that things do not get worse. Moving forward, you can avoid putting past and other food down the sink.

Eggshells

So, you are peeling a boiled egg over the kitchen sink. Some of the eggshells have fallen in. Should you pick them up or simply wash them away with water? A lot of people choose the latter option. But, this is the wrong one.

While eggshells can seem small and harmless, they can actually be dangerous when it comes to the drains. They often have a membrane on the inside of the shell, which is very sticky. The eggshells can then gather with other debris and cause a blockage. Over time, this is going to mean that you experience a bad odour and slow drainage, which could lead to not being able to use your sink.

Rice

Again, rice is another type of food that contains starch. This means that it is going to absorb water and this makes the rice expand. Think about how it is cooked in a pan. It becomes larger and fluffier the most that it is cooked in hot water. 

Well, the same can happen in your drainage system. While you might think that you have flushed away the rice down the drain, it can become soggy as water runs through it. It can stick to the pipes and grow larger, causing a blockage over time.

Seeds and Grains

The next one might surprise you. You should avoid putting any seeds or grains down the sink. While they might appear small and harmless, being swept away easily by the water. They can actually be a real problem when it comes to blockages. The reason is, they can stick to other debris in your pipes, which can accumulate and prevent water from getting through. They can easily stick to anything.

Yes, they may appear small. But, do not be fooled. Over time, they will join to other food debris and cause you problems. So, the best thing is to scrape them from a bowl or plate into the bin. This is particularly true with some seeds and grains that will hold onto water and expand, becoming bigger in size.

Fatty Foods

Lastly, let’s group together some food that is definitely not going to go down the drain. We are talking about fatty foods. This is anything that is greasy and has fatty bits on it. For example, this could be meat. Either way, this fat can end up down the drain and cause havoc. It is sticky and greasy, which does not work well with pipes. It can get stuck to the sides, as well as other debris.

Fatty foods build up over time and this is the last thing you want. Indeed, it leads to a blockage that cannot be cleared with everyday products. Instead, you would have to call out the professionals to take a look. So, avoid doing this at all costs and put any leftover food in the bin. Even if food is liquidised, it can cause a problem.