Many homeowners’ kitchen sinks see a lot of different food scraps. While it's easy to rake your leftovers down the drain—especially if you have a garbage disposal—there are certain foods you don't want to have stuck inside your pipes. To avoid needing to call a plumber, here are some items you should always throw in the garbage bin. 

6 Items to Keep Out of Your Kitchen Drain

1. Pasta

Many kinds of pasta are made from flour, an ingredient that expands when coming in contact with water. When you flush it down the drain, water will cause it to swell and clog your pipes. To ease the burden of your plumbing system, dispose of any uncooked or uneaten pasta in the trash.

2. Rice

Much like pasta, rice is known to absorb liquid. Once it gets into your kitchen drain, it’s a hazard every time you run the faucet. These foods are difficult to drain, so it’s no surprise that a garbage disposal will have trouble with them, too.

3. Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds stick to the inside of your kitchen pipes, which can lead to blockages. In fact, they’re one of the most common food items to be unclogged by plumbers. Instead, dispose of them in your trash can or use them as compost for your home garden.

4. Eggshells

Broken eggshells can cause abrasive damage to your drainage pipes and lead to clogging. Additionally, the shells are known to dull the blades of your disposal unit. Fortunately, they’re a great compost material for plants, where they can help your home, not hinder it.

5. Cooking Grease, Oils, & Fats

While these type of cooking materials look liquid enough to pour down the drain, they can seriously harm your pipes and drainage system. When grease or oil mixes with water, it creates a congealed mass known as a fatberg. This will clog up your pipes and plumbing system, potentially leading to major repairs.

6. Bones

Not every bone is safe to throw into your garbage disposal unit. While smaller bones like fish are safe for your sink, beef, poultry, lamb, and pork bones can damage your garbage disposal blades. Unless you want to enlist a plumber to replace the disposal unit, it's best to throw bones into the trash.

Is your home experiencing clogging issues? The professionals at Master Technicians & Mechanicals in Crosset, AR, can help with any plumbing problem you might face. Their team of master contractors has been serving their community with plumbing, construction, and HVAC services for nearly 20 years. Their plumbers are on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Visit their website to learn more about their services or call (870) 364-3388 to speak with a team member today.