Stop & Think: Does This Go Down My Sink?

Your sink may seem like a magical trash chute, but trust us, it’s not. Many common household items can quickly turn your plumbing into a clogged disaster. Here are 10 things you should NEVER pour or push down your sink:

1. Grease, Oil, and Fat

Even if it’s liquid at high temperatures, it solidifies as it cools, sticking to your pipes and creating blockages.

2. Coffee Grounds

They may seem harmless, but coffee grounds clump together and trap other debris, forming stubborn clogs.

3. Eggshells

Tiny as they are, eggshells are rough and gritty. Instead of dissolving, they combine with grease to line your pipes like sandpaper.

4. Pasta, Rice, or Other Starches

These expand with water. One minute your sink is fine, the next it’s a mini dam of swelling starch blocking the drain.

5. Vegetable Peels

Potato skins, carrot peels, and other fibrous scraps may seem biodegradable, but they can tangle in your pipes or get caught in your garbage disposal.

6. Flour or Baking Ingredients

Flour mixed with water turns into a sticky paste, which can be perfect for coating the inside of your pipes and causing slow drainage.

7. Bones

Even small bones from chicken or fish can damage garbage disposals or lodge in your pipes, causing a headache later.

8. Stringy or Fibrous Foods

Celery, corn husks, onion skins, and similar foods can wrap around the blades of your disposal and clog it.

9. Pills and Medications

Flushing pills might seem harmless, but they can contribute to the buildup and are harmful to the environment.

10. Non-Food Items

Paper towels, wet wipes, cotton balls, dental floss, and other household items don’t break down like toilet paper. They get stuck in your plumbing and can create major backups.