Clogs in your kitchen drains can disrupt the safety and flow of your home. They can increase your risk of leaks and burst pipes. You may have daily habits that contribute to the formation of drain clogs. Unfortunately, kitchen drains tend to experience clogs more often than areas like bathrooms or laundry rooms. We’ll explain some reasons for this and offer preventive measures to help you avoid kitchen drain clogs.

The Presence of Grease and Oils

The surfaces of your pots, pans, and dishes are often coated in grease and oil. When you rinse these things down your drain, they can solidify and cause a buildup that leads to clogs. Instead, wipe these surfaces clean and discard grease and oil in your garbage can.

Run tap water for a few minutes after you’ve finished cleaning up your kitchen. This helps flush away any grease that is present. A mixture of white vinegar and baking soda poured down your drain monthly can help dissolve buildup.

Food Scraps and Other Solids

Even if you have a garbage disposal, food scraps and other solids can make their way down your drain. These materials accumulate and can cause a clog. Avoid putting starchy foods into your drains as well as large pieces of meat, bones, and coffee grounds. Fibrous materials like celery strings, asparagus ends, and onion skins in your drain can also lead to clogs. They can wind their way around garbage disposal blades and cause problems.

Dispose of scraps like these in your garbage can or composter. And you can use drain covers in your kitchen to prevent debris making its way into your plumbing system in the first place.

Soap Residue and Product Film

Certain soaps and products can leave behind a layer of soap scum inside your drains and pipes. These slimy coatings are the perfect materials to encourage sticky clogs to form. Make sure you’re using grease-fighting soaps in your sink and products designed for use in your dishwasher.

You may want to consider using a rinse aid as well. Rinse aids work by reducing the surface tension of water. They’re very effective if you deal with hard water in your home.

Frequent Use of Your Kitchen Drains

When you use your kitchen drain frequently for meal prep, doing dishes, and cleaning, it prevents the natural breakdown of materials. This isn’t entirely avoidable, but it’s something to consider.

Avoiding clogs in your kitchen drains doesn’t have to be a challenge. Contact our team here at The Plumber AZ in Mesa, AZ to schedule routine drain cleaning and plumbing repairs.