Five things you should never throw down the sink drain

 

🚫 Five Things You Should Never Throw Down the Sink Drain

It’s easy to treat the kitchen sink like a catch-all for cooking messes. A quick rinse, a splash of hot water, and — whoosh — it’s gone. But what you pour or toss down your drain today can cause clogs, odors, plumbing damage, and even environmental harm tomorrow.

If you want to keep your pipes clear, your home smelling fresh, and your plumber visits to a minimum, here are five things you should never throw down the sink drain — even if you have a garbage disposal.

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1. Cooking Grease, Fats, and Oils

Why it’s a problem:
Hot grease may look like liquid gold when it’s fresh off the pan, but as soon as it cools in your pipes, it solidifies into a sticky clog magnet. Over time, it mixes with food bits and other debris to form nasty blockages known as “fatbergs.”

What to do instead:
Let grease cool and pour it into a container (like a jar or tin can). Once full, toss it in the trash — or check if your local area offers grease recycling.

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2. Coffee Grounds

Why it’s a problem:
Coffee grounds don’t dissolve in water. Instead, they clump together in drains and act like sediment, slowly building up and trapping other debris. Even if you have a garbage disposal, grounds are notorious for clogging pipes.

What to do instead:
Toss them in the compost bin or use them in your garden as a natural fertilizer or pest repellent.

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3. Eggshells

Why it’s a problem:
Many believe eggshells sharpen garbage disposal blades (myth alert!). In reality, the thin membrane inside shells can wrap around parts of the disposal, and the gritty shell fragments contribute to drain buildup — especially when combined with grease or soap scum.

What to do instead:
Throw them in the compost — they add calcium to the soil and break down easily.

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4. Flour, Pasta, and Rice

Why it’s a problem:
Flour forms a glue-like paste when mixed with water, which can coat your pipes. Pasta and rice expand when wet — even after cooking — and turn into a gummy, starchy blockage that’s hard to break down.

What to do instead:
Scrape leftover starches into the trash or compost bin.

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5. Household Chemicals and Cleaners

Why it’s a problem:
Bleach, paint, solvent-based cleaners, and old medications may seem harmless going down the drain, but they can damage your plumbing, pollute waterways, and harm wildlife. Even small amounts can disrupt local water treatment systems.

What to do instead:
Check local hazardous waste disposal programs or drop-off sites for safe disposal options.

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✅ Bonus Tip: Use a Sink Strainer!

To catch all those sneaky bits of food and debris, install a simple sink strainer. It takes seconds to clean and can save you hundreds in plumbing bills.

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🧼 Final Thoughts

Your kitchen drain isn't a magic disappearing hole — it’s a delicate part of your home's plumbing system. Keeping just a few key items out of the drain can help prevent clogs, foul smells, and expensive plumbing emergencies.

So next time you’re tempted to rinse something questionable down the sink, think twice — your future self (and your pipes) will thank you!