New Year, New You! There’s no reason why your resolutions for 2020 shouldn’t include changing your kitchen sink habits. Most of us chuck things down the kitchen drain without a second thought, but just beneath the surface, we are wreaking havoc on our home’s drains.
Even when you take every precaution with what you wash down the drain, you should still have a Rancho Cucamonga plumber you know you can rely on for annual drain cleaning or emergency unclogging services. Plumbers will be able to investigate what’s going on in your drains using a camera before expelling any trapped food waste with a hydro jet. Not only will your drains work better, but your kitchen will probably smell a lot nicer too!
If you want to start taking better care of your drains in 2020, a great place to start is the kitchen sink. Here are the top 10 things you should never wash down your kitchen sink:
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1. Coffee Grounds
It seems so convenient to just wash away the coffee grounds from your coffee machine or French press but doing this on a daily basis will have a big impact on the functionality of your drains. Unfortunately, coffee grinds do not break down in the water, which means they will slowly build up inside your drains until they clog it all together.
Unlike a lot of things on this list, you can make good use of these leftover grounds by mixing them into fertilizer when gardening or toss them into a compost bin.
2. Oils and Grease
Oils, fats, and grease are a trio that will cause a lot of problems for you if you wash them down the drain. That’s because they are all very thick and often solidify inside the drain as they cool down. As layers of grease and oil build, the water flow will be hindered.
If you have already allowed grease to build up, you should seek plumbers in Rancho Cucamonga to professionally clean your drains.
3. Eggshells
You probably don’t attempt to throw the entire eggshell down the sink, but even letting the smaller fragments wash down the drain can have a damaging effect. Eggshells can be deceptively sharp and can scrape the inside of your drains.
Sometimes this is beneficial because it will dislodge other food in the drain, but usually, you are left with even more food waste stuck in your home’s pipes.
4. Medication
Don’t be fooled by popular culture references, you should never wash medications down any drain in your home! Chemicals from any pills or medication should not be released into the environment in this haphazard way. If you have medication you need to dispose of, take it to a medicine disposal area instead.
5. Soft Food
Even if your sink is equipped with a garbage disposal, there are certain foods that can still cause a lot of problems after being ground down. Food that is especially starchy or likely to swell, like potatoes or bread, should be thrown in the bin instead of the sink. This is because, once ground down, they will form a paste consistency, which is too thick to flow out of the drains.
6. Produce Stickers
Small though they may be, the stickers that come on many fruits and vegetables should never be washed down the kitchen drain. These stickers will not break down over time and easily get stuck in drains, filters, and pipes. Simply remove these stickers before you wash your veggies and this problem will be completely avoided.
7. Fruit and Vegetable Peels
Peels and stems are simply too large to send down the kitchen sink. With or without a garbage disposal, peels have a reputation for causing obstructions in drains because of their thick consistency.
Are you worried you already have a clogged kitchen drain? Get in contact with a plumber in Rancho Cucamonga.
8. Dairy Products
Dairy products are deceptively destructive when it comes to being washed down the sink. Creams and soft cheese can easily get stuck in the drains and will go rancid more quickly than other trapped foods causing an unpleasant smell. There is also an environmental effect because it takes so much oxygen to break down dairy, which means other organisms are deprived of necessary oxygen.
9. Seeds, Grains, and Pits
Small but mighty, seeds and grains are another food item that will stubbornly stick around in your kitchen pipes. The next time you have a bagel or seeded bread, brush the grains off into the garbage can before rinsing the plate. This will reduce the likelihood of seeds and grains building up over time.
10. Rice and Pasta
Rice and pasta are both very absorbent food, which means they can cause chaos for your drains. If rice or pasta is washed down the drain, they can get stuck in the pipe and will sit there getting larger and increasingly dense, causing a major clog over time.
If you find yourself with a clogged kitchen sink or a foul odor that refuses to go away, it’s time to call your plumber in Rancho Cucamonga. Professional hydrojetting uses water pressure to gently expel clogs and food from your drains and pipes.
Even with the best kitchen sink habits, clogs can still occur. That’s why it is a good idea to get your drains cleaned professionally every year. Plumbers in Rancho Cucamonga will be able to keep your home’s water and sewer lines clear of all obstructions so that water can flow smoothly all year long.
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