Our kitchen sink is one of the busiest places in our home. Dishwashing, food preparation, and so many other tasks take place here each day. And while your sink may go generally unnoticed, it shouldn’t go unappreciated. One of the best ways to keep your kitchen sink functioning and free of blockages is to know what can (and can’t) go down the drain. 

What Can Go Down the Drain?

• Liquids: Liquids like juice, soda, broth and coffee without the grounds are safe to go down the drain.
• Soft foods: Foods like pudding, yogurt and applesauce are safe to wash down the drain. Fruit and most vegetables are drain-safe.

The only vegetables that shouldn’t go down the drain are fibrous ones like celery, carrots and asparagus. 

What Can’t Go Down the Drain?

• Coffee grounds: Coffee grounds are very fibrous and don’t break down easily. Additionally, they tend to clump, causing your blockages to occur.
• Bones: Bones take a very long time to break down and can cause blockages to occur. 
• Eggshells/seafood shells: Like coffee, eggshells and seafood shells take longer to decompose, contributing to clogs.
• Cooking Oil and Grease: While cooking oil and grease are liquid when hot, they congeal as they cool down, which causes sinks and pipes to clog. 
• Starches: Starchy food like flour, pasta and rice can expand in pipes when they come in contact with water. As a result, they can cause blockages.
• Potato Peels: When potato peels break down, they get mushy and stop up pipes. 
• Non-food items: Items like paper towels, produce stickers and plastic food packaging can contribute to clogged drains and pipes. It’s best to throw them out. 
• Medications:  While medications may not clog your drain, they can be harmful to the environment and shouldn’t be put down the drain.

What if I Have a Garbage Disposal?

The same rules generally apply to garbage disposals, as they can become easily clogged. Soft foods are acceptable. And if it can’t go down the drain, it shouldn’t go down your garbage disposal either. In fact, things like bones, fibrous vegetables and eggshells can wear down your blades prematurely, costing you time and money.

How To Prevent Foods From Going Down the Drain

• Use a drain basket (or strainer) - Drain baskets are a great tool for protecting your sink from falling food debris. They are easy to use, cost-effective and can be found in major retail stores. 
• Scrape off plates before putting them in the sink - A simple, yet effective way to reduce the risk of food entering your drain is to scrape off your plate in either the trash or compost bin if you have one. 
• Don’t prep food over the kitchen sink - Peeling potatoes, cracking eggs or preparing vegetables shouldn’t be done over a sink, as the particles can fall in the sink, going down the drain. 
• Save your old oil and grease -  Instead of pouring your used oil and grease down the drain, save in an old container and drop it off at your nearest grease recycling site.
• Save your old mediations - Instead of flushing your old medications down the drain, save them and drop them off a designated site. Many law enforcement agencies have drop off locations for unwanted or expired medications. 

What if a Clog Starts To Develop?

If a clog starts to develop, you can try:

• using a sink plunger to unclog the blockage
• Snake drains are also helpful in pulling up and unclogging old food
• Pour a small pot of boiling water down your drain (unless the drain is connected to PVC) 

If these methods aren’t working, it's time to bring in a professional plumber to assess the situation and determine the best way to remedy the blockage.

Need help with a clogged sink? Superior Plumbing is here to help!

If you’re a metro Atlanta homeowner looking for an experienced plumber, Superior Plumbing has got you covered! We serve several areas around Atlanta, including Kennesaw and Cobb County. Give us a call at 770-422-7586 or click the link here to fill out a contact form online. 

Not only do we perform routine plumbing services, but we also install water heaters and tankless water heaters. If you’re interested in our other services, visit our website by clicking the link here.