Most pipe blockages can be avoided by simply being smart about what you do and—more importantly—DON'T put down your sink. Of course, any sensible homeowner knows that the best way to avoid the need for a drain cleaning is to avoid putting grease down the line. However, that's not the only thing you shouldn't put down the sink. There are many less-obvious food items that can create issues in your pipes by:
- Acting as an adhesive that collects other debris
- Catching onto groves in pipes, creating something of a net
- Expanding in pipes, resulting in breakages
While the pros at B-Line Plumbing & Drains pride themselves on providing quality drain cleaning services, we also pride ourselves on helping Longmont homeowners save money by informing them of things to avoid putting down the sink. For that purpose, our plumbers have assembled the following list of less-obvious food items you should never put down the sink:
Produce Stickers
The adhesive on the back of produce stickers doesn't break down in water as well as you might think. It may be tempting to simply scrub off the stickers and let them wash down the drain as you wash your produce, but we assure you that it's far better to dispose of them in the trash instead.
Pasta
Pasta can easily get caught on grooves in your pipes, where they'll continue to expand as they come in contact with water, creating a serious blockage. This means that many drain cleaning projects can be avoided by throwing old pasta in the trash instead of the sink.
Flour
Flour acts like something of a paste once it gets into your drains. There, it can stick to the walls of your pipes and cause other items to become stuck. Before you know it, you could be in need of a serious drain cleaning, so be smart and avoid putting flour down your sink.
Coffee Grounds
It's tempting enough: You finish your morning coffee and decide to chuck the old grounds down the drain as you wash out your coffee pot. Resist that urge, however, as coffee grounds can create some of the most stubborn clogs you can imagine.
Eggshells
We're sure you've heard that eggshells are good for cleaning the garbage disposal. While that saying may hold some truth, this practice will cause far more good than bad since eggshells can act as a net to catch all sorts of debris and create a monster of a blockage.