Drains are built to carry water and small amounts of waste, not everything that fits through the opening. Keeping a few things out of your drains prevents most clogs.
Keep these out of the kitchen sink
- Grease, oil and fat. They go down liquid, then cool and harden inside the pipe. Let them cool and throw them in the trash.
- Coffee grounds, which clump together into a dense sludge
- Eggshells, which break into small gritty pieces
- Fibrous foods like celery, onion skins and corn husks, which wrap around disposal blades
- Pasta, rice and bread, which swell with water
- Large bones and fruit pits
Keep these out of toilets and bathroom drains
- "Flushable" wipes. Most don't break down like toilet paper.
- Paper towels, tissues, cotton balls and swabs
- Feminine hygiene products and dental floss
- Hair. A simple drain screen catches most of it.
Easy habits that help
- Run cold water while the disposal is on and for a few seconds after.
- Use strainers in kitchen and bathroom drains.
- Skip harsh chemical drain cleaners. They can damage older pipes and often don't clear the clog completely.
If more than one drain is slow at the same time, the problem is probably in the main line. That's a job for a plumber.
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