Whether you’re rinsing off plates after dinner or cleaning up after a big cook-up, it’s easy to forget that not everything belongs down the kitchen sink. But even small habits like pouring oil or coffee grounds down the drain can have a major impact on your plumbing system and your wallet.
As professional plumbers in Perth, we’ve seen our fair share of blocked drains, burst pipes and damaged kitchen plumbing caused by what goes down the sink. To help you avoid costly repairs, we’ve put together this guide on what not to put down your kitchen sink and what to do instead.
Need help clearing your drain? Contact our team of local Perth Plumbers today!
Why It Matters
Your kitchen sink is connected to a series of pipes that make up your home’s plumbing and drainage system. When the wrong substances get flushed into the system, they can stick to pipe walls, harden, or create blockages.
Over time, this can lead to:
- Slow-draining water
- Nasty odours coming from the drain
- Water backing up into the sink
- Pipe corrosion or damage
- Full-on plumbing emergencies
What Not to Put Down the Kitchen Sink
Cooking Oil, Fat and Grease
Oil and grease might look harmless when they’re hot and liquid, but as they cool, they solidify. This sticky sludge clings to the inside of pipes, trapping food scraps and leading to stubborn clogs.
What to do instead: Pour cooled fats into a container or jar and dispose of them in the bin. You can also wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are gritty, absorbent, and notorious for settling in pipes. Combined with grease, they can form a concrete-like clog in your kitchen drain that is quite difficult to unclog.
What to do instead: Toss them in the bin, or if you have a garden, you can use coffee grounds as compost. Your garden will thank you.
Eggshells
While they might seem biodegradable, eggshells break into sharp, gritty bits that can bind with grease and form a thick paste in your pipes.
What to do instead: Add them to your compost heap or dispose of them with general waste.
Pasta and Rice
These starchy foods swell when wet, even after they’re cooked. That means pasta and rice can expand in your pipes, trapping other debris and contributing to blockages.
What to do instead: Scrape your plate into the bin before rinsing it in the sink.
Flour
Flour and water form glue. If you’ve ever cleaned a mixing bowl, you’ve probably seen this firsthand. Pouring flour down the drain is a fast-track ticket to a gummy blockage.
What to do instead: Wipe or scrape excess flour into the bin before washing up.
Produce Stickers
Those little plastic stickers on your fruit and veggies can slip down the drain unnoticed. They don’t break down and can get caught in filters or pumps further down the system.
What to do instead: Pop them in the bin before rinsing your fruit or veg.
Medication and Chemicals
You should never pour medicines, cleaners, paint, or chemical solvents down any household drain. Not only can they damage your plumbing, but they can also pollute local waterways and harm marine life.
What to do instead: Check your local council’s guidelines for safe chemical disposal.
Fruit Pits and Bones
These hard items are too dense to break down and too bulky to pass through plumbing without causing damage.
What to do instead: Always dispose of pits and bones in the rubbish.
Paint or Paint Thinner
Paint contains chemicals that are harmful to your pipes and the environment. Even if it’s water-based, paint can coat your pipes and trap other debris.
What to do instead: Let leftover paint dry out in a tin and dispose of it through your local hazardous waste program.
Need help with a blocked sink? Contact our team today for fast, reliable support.
What About Your Bathroom Sink?
The same rules apply. Avoid tipping things like hair, paper towels, or beauty product remnants down the drain. These small items can lead to big plumbing problems.
How to Keep Your Kitchen Sink Healthy
Here are a few good habits to keep your sink in top shape:
- Use a sink strainer to catch food scraps
- Run hot water after washing up to help move grease along
- Clean your sink drain often with baking soda and vinegar
- Book a professional drain inspection if you notice slow drainage or smells
Need help maintaining your plumbing system? Swan’s offers leak detection and drain clearing services across Perth and Mandurah.
Be Mindful of What Goes Down the Drain
Your kitchen sink is one of the most used fixtures in the home, so it pays to treat it right. By knowing what not to put down the kitchen sink, and using the bin or compost instead, you’ll save yourself from plumbing headaches down the track.
If you’ve already run into trouble or you’re after expert advice on the health of your home’s plumbing system, get in touch with Swan’s today.
Why Choose Swan’s Plumbing
At Swan’s Professional Plumbing, we specialise in diagnosing and repairing household plumbing issues with no fuss. Whether you need a quick fix or a full inspection, we have the tools and experience to get your kitchen back to normal.