After a filling dinner, it can be tempting to empty food scraps from your plate straight into the sink instead of the trash. However, according to Quality Plumbing of Honolulu, HI, it’s crucial to be careful about what you feed your drains. Here, their plumber lists four substances you should never put down the kitchen sink and why.

4 Substances That Can’t Go Down the Kitchen Sink

1. Fibrous Foods

Stringy substances like citrus peels and celery are not easily digested by garbage disposals—much less typical sink drains. If you accidentally drop one of these ingredients, make sure to fish it out and throw it in the trash or compost bin. These can easily get tangled in garbage disposal blades, potentially breaking the mechanism altogether.

2. Oil & Grease

Whether you’re cooking bacon for breakfast or hamburgers on the weekend, it’s crucial to leave the remaining grease out of the sink. While it may be easiest to tilt the pan into the basin, these substances will solidify once they cool, sticking to the inside of the piping and causing blockages only a professional plumber can resolve.

3. Bones

After eating rotisserie chicken or lamb shanks, be cautious with your leftovers. Allowing bones to slip down your kitchen sink could have disastrous consequences for your garbage disposal. Instead of breaking down, these resilient parts will either jam the flywheel or fly into the air, potentially causing injuries and messes.

4. Plastic & Paper Goods

Whether you like to order takeout or cook yourself, chances are you’ll end up with leftovers. When you’re done with the food, it’s essential to prevent the plastic or styrofoam containers, sandwich bags, and saran wrap from falling into the kitchen sink along with it. While they may be soft, these substances won’t break down in septic systems and can harm the environment.

If you have more questions about how to take care of your home, turn to Quality Plumbing for assistance. In addition to leak detection and plumbing repairs, they can also lend their expertise to your bathroom remodeling project. For more information on this plumber’s services, visit the website or call (808) 384-0412 today.