Standing water in your kitchen sink can look and smell gross. However, a kitchen sink clog is an inconvenience that can sometimes be avoided with few habit changes. Be mindful of what you put down the drain and perform some routine maintenance, and the kitchen sink clog will not happen in the first place.

Most Food Should Not Go Down the Drain

A garbage disposal can provide a sense of security when dumping large pieces of food down the drain. However, if you would like to maintain pristine pipes and drain, you should limit what food substances you let flow down the kitchen sink. Prevent a kitchen sink clog by using accessories like mesh screens to capture food before it can go into the drain. Then it is a simple matter of emptying the food from the strainer when finished. You can find these strainers online or at major retailers like Walmart. When running the garbage disposal, run a constant stream of cold water to carry the ground up food away.

Grease and oils can spell disaster for your plumbing when left to buildup. While some grease down the drain is inevitable, try to dispose of the grease in other ways. The key is to get as little as possible down the drain to avoid a kitchen sink clog. Dump the grease into a container (preferably one you can throw away) and wipe away the remaining residue with a paper towel. Allow it to cool and harden, then dispose of the grease in the trash. We go into more detail about what cannot be dumped down the drain in our blog titled, Ten Proper Garbage Disposal Tips to Avoid a Blocked Drain

Clean Pipes and Garbage Disposal

Regular pipe cleaning is another great way to keep the kitchen sink clogs at bay. The usual baking soda and vinegar mixture can help if left to sit overnight. It will bubble and help dissolve some of the problematic substances stuck to your pipes. Another plus to putting baking soda in your drain is its odor-absorbing qualities. If you have a funky smell coming from the kitchen sink, baking soda can help. Pouring hot water down the drain can also help dissolve substances.

Of course, you can always hire a plumber for a professional drain cleaning. They have the equipment to get any stuck-on food substances that could cause a kitchen sink clog. At Valley Fire Protection & Plumbing, we have professionals that can help you resolve that clogged kitchen sink.

Related Topics: Plumbing Tips // Residential Plumbing

By: Tom Hartel

I acquired my expertise by directing day-to-day operations of the business for over 20 years. Continuous hard work helped me become a nationally recognized speaker and expert on fire protection, fire sprinklers, special hazards, and plumbing systems. In this blog, I share my knowledge that will hopefully help you make better decisions for your projects.