5 Ways to Prevent Clogged Kitchen Drains

In most Australian households, there’s nothing more frustrating than washing the dishes in your kitchen sink and then water takes too long to drain. It’s even more annoying when the water does not seem to drain, leaving you with a pool of dirty water that could be extremely unhealthy and unsanitary. 

If this happens, then you are most possibly dealing with a clogged kitchen drain. It’s something that can be easy to remedy. But if you’re finding yourself unable to fix it with the common fixes, you might need the help of blocked drain Sydney experts.

With that, it’s best to prevent the clog from happening in the first place, and here are simple ways to avoid the problem:

1. Stop pouring grease and oil onto the kitchen drain

The most common cause of a clogged kitchen drain is the accumulation of grease, fat, and oil, which then traps any solid material such as dirt, small toys and foreign objects, and food waste. So, never dump grease from food and cooking oil onto your drain.

Instead, you can save used cooking oil and food grease into an old coffee can and then dispose of it in the trash can properly.

2. Always use a drain strainer

Any foreign object that you intentionally or unintentionally drop down the drain has a chance of getting caught up and accumulating, which is why you’ll want to use a drain strainer. It catches all the foreign objects big enough to cause any blockage, only allowing water and small particles that can easily flow down with the water.

There are different types of drain strainers available, but you can most definitely find one type that works with your sink in a hardware store.

3. Avoid throwing food waste and coffee grounds on your drain

Again, avoid disposing of any food waste onto your drain, and that includes coffee grounds. These could get caught up or accumulate. Besides coffee grounds, you’ll want to avoid throwing leftover food, fruit or vegetable peels and cores, or meat bones. Although they decompose, it often takes a long time, so don’t rely on that thought.

4. Never rinse grout, cement, or joint compound on your kitchen sink

Don’t do this on your kitchen sink, or any sink for that matter, since these types of materials harden easily. Once you dump this down your drain, it will settle onto your drain and cause a blockage that will be so hard to remove, you will most likely require the assistance of blocked drain Sydney experts.

To dispose of these, save the rinse water in a container and wait until the solid matter settles out, then decant the water in a corner of your yard and dump the remaining sludge in the garbage.

5. “Clean” your drain once a week

Sometimes, you would unintentionally pour something down the drain that is not meant to be poured there. Or when you’re rinsing the dishes, some of the grease from the food will flow with the water and may accumulate in your drain.

No matter how careful you are, a small amount of food or grease will make its way down your drain, so you’ll want to clean out your drain at least once a week. You can do this by simply flushing boiling water down the drain.

You may also throw baking soda into your drain and then pour some hot water. Not only does the baking soda clean your drain, but it would also remove any unpleasant smell. You can also use vinegar to clean your drain and prevent any clogging. Pour a cup of vinegar down the drain, then wait for 30 minutes before pouring hot water. 

Not only can you prevent clogs with these methods as you can also use them for quick home fixes for clogged drains.