Things that should not go down the kitchen sink
Sewer Facts:
Household waste pipes are normally 100mm (4 inches) in diameter. That's the same size across as a margarine tub. The sewer pipes under the street are usually 150mm (6 inches), which is only half as big again.
And for the complete set of figures, the pipe from the sink to the drain under the house is 40mm, and the pipe from the toilet to the drain is 80mm across.
Don't FOG up your pipes!
The fat, oil and grease ("FOG") you pour down the sink or drain will stick to the walls of the pipes (and to any tree roots in the pipes). It leaves a sticky goo, a sort of "sewer glue", that never stops being sticky.
Things that come along stick to it, particularly things like cotton bud sticks and the backing strips to panty liners.
When this mess gets really thick, bits break off and are washed "downstream". They can collect in the sewer pipe and block it.
Eventually there will be a day when nothing breaks off and it blocks completely.
Don't think that hot water will get rid of it. It just cools down a little further on and sticks again. Hot water just rearranges the goo.
Kitchen Don'ts
Don't put all the FOG down the sink, as if it doesn't matter.
Don't pour FOG down the sink.
Do not pour fat, oil and grease down the sink or drain.
Don't remove grease with hot water.
Do not rinse frying pans, pots, pans and plates with hot water to remove all the grease
Don't remove grease with hot water.
Do not use hot water to rinse all the grease from the work surfaces
Don't put scraps down the drain.
Do not put food scraps down the sink or drain, or use a garbage disposal unit
Next
Okay, that's what you don't do.
Click here for the Kitchen Sink Do's page to find out what you should do instead.
For more information, go to the Sink-Wise page.
There is also information in our Sink-Wise flyer (140k pdf).
Click here for the Toilet and Shower Dont's.