Grease trapped in clogged drains is putting our kids through college. At the risk of ruining this gravy train (which is our first tip of what not to put down your drain), we’re going to help explain what products you shouldn’t be putting down your drain and why. Then, because we don’t want to leave you hanging, we’ll tell you the best place to dispose of those items.
Clogged Drains Advice: What to NOT Put Down your Drain
You wouldn’t believe what we’ve fished out of sinks. From wedding rings to children’s toys to hairballs (darned cats) to sticks of butter—we’ve seen it all. Now that the holiday cooking and baking season is upon us (yumm!), we thought we’d give you a heads-up on these sink-clogging products that can quickly spoil festivities, including:
1. Fat from meats (think: turkey)
2. Butter
3. Margarine
4. Cooking oils
5. Lard
6. Food scraps
7. Dairy
8. Salad dressing (full of oil).
FOGs—Fats, Oils and Greases
FOGs are the absolute worst food items to put down your drain as they can congeal in your pipes and cause a blockage, similar to how they congeal in your body and cause a heart attack.
Keeping these products out of your drain will keep them from clogging your pipes, which can cause a nasty drainage backup during your holiday season. These Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) situations not only cause a problem in your home but can also clog your neighbour’s pipes, and can cause overflows that seep into drinking water and cause environmental damage from household cleaners and other caustic fluids.
How to Properly Dispose of FOGs to Avoid Clogged Drains
There are a number of ways to safely dispose of FOGs, so as to not clog your plumbing system (which would involve a last-minute call to us), including:
- Collect the liquid grease, fat and oils in a recyclable container that can either be emptied or tossed away
- Be sure to cover the container to ensure that you don’t spill.
- Empty all your scrap food into the trash.
- Avoid using your garbage disposal when possible, to avoid it becoming clogged.
- Cool all hot greases and oils before disposal, and once cool—scrape or wipe-off cookware into a proper trash receptacle.
- Never pour oil/grease down your sinks (or toilet!).
- Don’t rinse greasy pots with hot water as this will cause it to rush mi-way through he drain before congealing.
For more plumbing tips and clogged drains advice, stay tuned to the Hayes Plumbing blog. But if it’s too late for you and you’ve already put grease down your drain (which will be obvious by the un-drain-able backlog in your sink)–never fear, just call us here at Hayes.
