6 everyday kitchen habits plumbers warn could damage your pipes over time

They remember everything you pour down them.

Most kitchen mishaps don’t feel urgent in the moment. But it’s those small, repetitive habits—not dramatic disasters—that ruin your pipes over time. We asked plumbing experts to share the everyday, seemingly innocuous kitchen habits they wish homeowners would stop doing immediately.

From what doesn't belong in your garbage disposal to how you’re cleaning your sink, these are the common routines that can lead to stubborn clogs, leaks, or expensive service calls.

Meet the Experts

• Aaron Adams, master plumber and CEO of Aaron Services: Plumbing, Heating, Cooling
• Megan Doser, plumbing and HVAC expert and owner of Doctor Fix It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric

Related: 7 Habits People With Clean Kitchens Rely On to Stay Organized Every Day

01 of 06

Pouring Grease Down the Drain

Unfortunately, the most costly mistake people make is also one of the most common. “The number one kitchen habit that people should change to protect their plumbing is putting anything but residual food waste down their kitchen sink drain,” says Aaron Adams, master plumber and CEO of Aaron Services: Plumbing, Heating, Cooling. “Grease is the absolute worst substance you can put down your drain. As soon as it cools, it sticks to the insides of your drains and hardens. Over time, this solidified fat makes the diameter of the drain pipe smaller and smaller.” 

If you think diluting it with water will solve the problem, think again. “Cooking grease dissolved in hot water is still grease and still bad for your drains,” says Megan Doser, plumbing and HVAC expert and owner of Doctor Fix It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric. The heat may move it temporarily, but it eventually cools and sticks further down the line.

Grease clogs can be notoriously difficult to clear, even for professional plumbers, and, in Adams’ experience, may require a costly hydro jetting service. “In general, we advise homeowners to avoid putting fats, oils, grease, and solids (or FOGS) down their drains to keep things flowing well,” Adams reiterates. “Just scrape plates into the trash before rinsing, and let grease cool and be thrown away instead of pouring it down the drain. A free habit that could save thousands.”

02 of 06

Storing Too Much Under the Sink

Plumbers have strong feelings about what is happening under your sink, and they want you to know that all that clutter is not harmless. “Oftentimes, a kitchen faucet, or its supply lines, can leak, and sometimes this water is only visible inside the cabinet beneath the faucet,” Adams says. “If it's difficult to see the inside bottom or sides of your cabinet, you could have a leak for weeks or months without noticing it. We've seen tiny dripping leaks lead to cabinet and floor replacement.” 

The worst part: Homeowners' insurance usually doesn't cover a long-standing leak, since it's considered the homeowner's responsibility to catch it early. “Keep your areas under kitchen sinks clean and easy to monitor so that any water leaks can be found and fixed quickly,” says Adams. If you're unsure what under-the-sink items to toss right now, start with any empty or old, unused cleaning products.

03 of 06

Overloading the Garbage Disposal

Having a garbage disposal can create a false sense of security about what you can put down the drain. “When it comes to what can go into a garbage disposal, most people think of different products as strictly good or bad. But it's more about quantity than the quality of the product,” says Doser. “Even citrus peels and ice cubes that are used for freshening the drain become bad if you dump too much in at once.” 

Put simply: Some items that you should never send down the garbage disposal might not cause a problem if it’s just a small amount, Doser says, “while something that’s normally harmless for garbage disposals but in large quantities can turn into a clog.”

The example Doser gave is used coffee grounds. “While some coffee grounds occasionally in your drain or garbage disposal are not going to cause any problem, doing it regularly can cause a clog,” she says. “Coffee grounds do not break down in your plumbing and clump together instead, turning into concrete-like sludge.”

Tip

If your garbage disposal is malfunctioning, you may be able to reset it yourself before calling a plumber. “Most garbage disposals come with a small tool that looks like an Allen wrench designed to manually move the blades,” Adams explains. “If your garbage disposal blades get jammed, turn off the disposal immediately, and then use this tool to see if you can free the blockage yourself. You can save yourself the cost of a plumbing service visit by trying this troubleshooting first.”

04 of 06

Clearing Clogs With Baking Soda and Vinegar

The fizzy science experiment that bubbles in your drain may not be doing what you think. “Pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain is another habit we believe can be left behind by homeowners,” says Adams. “Baking soda and vinegar are good cleaning agents for cleaning sinks (when accompanied by some elbow grease), but that's about it.”

According to Adams, the combination is simply too mild to break up clogs or counteract any food waste that has built up inside the pipes. “Don't rely on this cleaning combo for anything more than a shiny sink,” he says. Instead, use a plunger, drain snake, or similar tool for minor blockages and call a professional if the clog persists.

05 of 06

Using Boiling Water to Rinse the Sink

While you should remove as much grease as possible before washing your pans, a little residue will remain, and what you do with it matters. “Washing oily pans with hot water is a good habit plumbers approve of, as it helps melt grease residue and move through the pipes instead of sticking to the walls, but the water temperature is key,” says Doser. “It should be hot, not boiling. As soon as you start using boiling water, you turn a useful habit into a bad habit that ruins your plumbing.”

Water that is too hot might be safe for metal pipes, but it’s bad for the rubber seals most kitchen drain systems use. Let your tea kettle sit for about five minutes after boiling to prevent damage to joints and seals and slow leaks.

06 of 06

Not Using Enough Dish Soap

It may feel harmless to use just a tiny squeeze of soap when washing your greasy pots and pans, but your pipes will eventually notice. “Trying to minimize your dish soap use might seem good in terms of saving money or being eco-friendly, but using too little actually means greasier pipes,” Doser says. “Even if you wipe grease off pans and plates before washing, there's still some amount of grease that goes down the drain, and using warm water and enough dish soap prevents that grease from sticking to the inside of your pipes and catching other debris.”

Aim to use enough soap to cover the pan's surface with visible suds.

Read the original article on Real Simple