If you’re wondering whether or not you can dispose of leftover food down the sink, the short answer is simply, no. The matter of fact is, nothing should be put down your sink unless it is a liquid, and even then, things like oil and grease should never be put down your sink, either.
Though some small, scraps of food will make their way down our sinks regardless, it is highly important we take the time to scrape leftover foods into bins before we wash up. Many foods contain high levels of oils, fats and grease, which can be detrimental to our sinks, pipes and drains, thus causing blockages very easily. These substances can become hard quickly, which make it tricky for them to go through our pipes and down into our drains. As these materials become hard, blockages can form rapidly. Boiling water can help to soften them however, but often professional help is needed.
However, foods that do not contain oil, fat or grease can still clog up our pipes, leading to blockages further down the line.
Meat
It is vital that meat is not washed down our sinks, whether or not it has previously been cooked. Both raw and cooked meat have the ability to become extremely stringy, and therefore can wrap around anything that is already present in our pipes, thus causing an unappealing blockage exceptionally easily.
Starch
Starchy foods such as pasta, rice and noodles cause them to become slimy, whether or not they previously been cooked. Regardless of how much water is poured down your sink afterwards, starchy foods like pasta and rice can never be broken down, due to the simple fact that these foods swell up when in contact with water.
Fruit
The skin of fruits is extremely tough, which means it is difficult to break down. Fruits like bananas have a skin that is stringy and slimy, making it prone to wrapping around any residue that is already present in pipes. Though very small, cut up pieces of fruit or fruit skin may be okay, it’s not worth the risk!
Flour
If you’ve been doing some baking and thinking about disposing of excess flour down the sink- think again. When wet, flour becomes a glue-like substance, meaning it is likely to stick to pipes and not budge. Then, when dry, flour thickens and becomes extremely hard, making it difficult to remove or break down within your pipes.
Though it may be an easy convenience in the short term, you could end up paying a lot of money in the long run in order to unblock your pipes or drains. If you’re too late, and think your drains may need unblocking, we can help you. Get in touch with a member of our friendly team by giving us a call on 0800 849 8099 or by visiting our contact page.
