Why kitchen drains clog, and what never to pour down them
Most kitchen clogs are built one dinner at a time. Knowing what causes them is the easiest way to avoid the next one.
Grease is the main culprit
Cooking grease and oil go down the drain as a liquid, then cool and cling to the inside of the pipe. Food particles stick to that layer, the opening narrows, and one day the sink stops draining. Hot water and dish soap only move the grease a little further down the line.
Keep these out of the sink
- Cooking grease, oil and fat
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
- Rice, pasta and other starches that swell
- Fibrous peels and stalks
Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing them. It is the single easiest habit for a clear kitchen drain.
When to call
A slow sink that clears with a plunger is a household job. A sink that keeps coming back, gurgles, or backs up into the other side of a double sink usually means the blockage is further down the line. We clear kitchen, bath, laundry and main-line clogs, then camera-check the line when the cause is not obvious.
Chemical drain cleaners are not a good fix for a recurring clog; they can be hard on older pipes and they do not remove the buildup that causes it. Send us a request and tell us what the drain is doing.
