Drain Cleaning Service Tips: 4 Types of Food Items You Shouldn’t Toss Down The Drain | New Orleans, LA
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Many homeowners will need to call a drain cleaning service in New Orleans, LA because they haven’t been mindful of what they toss down the drain and the garbage disposal. Many homeowners are under the misconception that the garbage disposal will take care of any food materials that pass down the drain, but that’s really quite far from the truth. The garbage disposal is incapable of getting rid of some food items, and these food items will lodge themselves within the plumbing and create a blockage.
It’s always better to get rid of as much food waste and scraps as possible in a garbage can first. Then, rinse the plates over a sink with a drain stopper that will catch most of the food material. In this article, we’ll look at some of the food items that you should avoid washing down the drain. If you regularly wash these items down the drain, you’re likely going to need to call a drain cleaning company very often.
#1. Peanut Butter
Are you a fan of Ants on a Log? Or, do you like eating foods with peanut butter mixed in or foods with a peanut butter dip on the side? Although peanut butter is absolutely delicious, it’s definitely something that you need to be careful of. Make sure that you wipe off as much of the peanut butter as possible before you rinse your plate in the kitchen sink.
Many homeowners don’t realize that peanut butter is considered as a type of grease or oil. Although it will wash down the drain in a liquid sink, the peanut butter will quickly congeal and form a clog downstream the plumbing. These types of foods are responsible for as much as 70% of all sewer overflows.
If you have to wash a plate with peanut butter on it, use cold water. Cold water will cause small amounts of the grease to solidify, so it will easily be caught by the drain stopper or be broken up by the garbage disposal. This greatly reduces the chances of a clog in the plumbing, and reduces the frequency of which you’ll need to call a drain cleaning service.
#2. Fibrous Vegetables, like Celery
Another type of food that many homeowners don’t realize is bad for their plumbing is fibrous vegetables like artichokes and celery. Most standard garbage disposals simply don’t have the ability to handle fibrous foods, and the stringy fiber will ball up in the plumbing after getting past the garbage disposal. The fibrous material is quite difficult to get rid of, and most homeowners will have to rely on a drain cleaning service to really get in the plumbing and remove the balled up fiber.
To avoid having to call a drain cleaning service so frequently, consider tossing these food scraps in the compost instead. It’d be great for the environment. If you have a garden, you can also toss these food scraps into the soil. They’re nutritious and will become fertilizer for your garden to grow.
#3. Eggshells
Almost everyone loves having eggs for breakfast, and this is perhaps one of the most common ingredients that you’d find in most homes. It’s used in just about every meal. Surprisingly, more than 33% of homeowners put their eggshells into a garbage disposal. Although this may seem harmless at first, the truth is that eggshells simply don’t decompose quickly at all. It’s easy for the bits and pieces to easily accumulate and become a clog.
This is especially true if you have older plumbing. You’ll find that you’ll need to call a drain cleaning service quite frequently in these cases. Instead of tossing eggshells down the garbage disposal, there are a lot of other things that you can do. Surprisingly, eggshells are high in nutrition, especially calcium, so you can toss them in your garden for your plants. You can also add it to potting soil.
#4. Potatoes
Mashed potatoes, fries and baked potatoes are a favorite amongst Americans. They’re absolutely delicious, and you’d often find some form of potato in most American meals. While this ingredient may look quite harmless at first, it’s also something that you should never wash down the drain if possible. Because of the mushy texture of this ingredient, it cannot be easily broken down by the garbage disposal. In fact, most of the starch will bypass the garbage disposal and go down the plumbing.
Downstream, the starch will harden and gum up. It’ll cling onto the sides of the plumbing and become a huge clog that is difficult to get rid of without professional help. Long-term, the starch may even end up damaging the plumbing, especially if it is older. The best thing that you can do is to scrape off as much of the starch as possible before you rinse your plates. Toss the starch into the garbage can or compost it. It’ll be better for your plumbing.
Call Us for Drain Cleaning Services in New Orleans, LA
The more mindful you are of what you wash down the drain, the less likely you’ll need to call a drain cleaning service in New Orleans, LA frequently. In fact, if you are careful, you might never need to call a drain cleaning service in your life. You’ll also notice that your plumbing will sustain fewer damages and require fewer repairs over the years.
However, if you do notice that your drains appear a little bit clogged, you should call a drain cleaning service immediately to get the problem fixed as soon as possible. If you wait, the problem could become significantly worse. bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of New Orleans offers a wide range of plumbing services. We are committed to providing you with high-quality, affordable plumbing services at competitive prices, so you won’t have to stress about your plumbing ever again.
Our services are available 24/7, 365 days a year. For more information, give us a call at 504-229-4848.
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