10 things you should never put down the sink

We've all done it from time to time. We've swilled food off our plates, rinsed out a coffee machine or drained hot fat from a roast down our sink. But just because you've added water, it doesn't mean it can safely be poured down the plughole.

A blocked drain can leave you with a bill of hundreds of pounds and even if you escape a home blockage, then the sewerage system won't. Water companies say unblocking our waste water system is costing us millions.

Project manager Ellora Coupe, founder of women's renovation directory Her Own Space said: “We have all been guilty of rushing to get the kitchen clean and washing all sorts of things down the kitchen sink.

“However, the build-up of grime and germs soon accumulates if we aren’t mindful of what we wash away down the sink. Plumbers get called out to fix more blocked drains than any another task.”

Andy Simms, plumbing expert from MyBuilder.com, added:  “Blockages are not only very inconvenient, but pricey to fix. Most blockages could cost upwards of £250 - and it’s so avoidable."

More than half of us admit to pouring fat, oil or grease (FOG) down our sinks, despite knowing it can cause problems. But it's not just FOG or food debris that could leave you with a big plumber's bill, we've spoken to the experts to find out the surprising things that commonly go down the sink but shouldn't.

10 surprising things you should never put down the sink

1. Dried pasta, rice and noodles

Any food that expands in moisture can create blockages.

Coupe said: “Few people know that grains, flour, pasta and rice, swell significantly and can coagulate and coat the insides of your pipes permanently making it very hard for water to drain properly and cause unwanted smells.”

It's all too easy for rice or small pieces of pasta to slip down the sink when you are draining them, so consider buying a sink strainer to avoid any blockages.

2. Flour

Flour thickens when mixed with water, which can then coat the inside of pipes and block other items from passing through.

 3. Honey

Because honey is extremely sticky, it can cause other debris to get stuck in the drain and if that's not bad enough, honey can also crystallise, especially high-quality or raw honey, which will also increase your chances of a clog.

4. Fats oil and grease (FOG)

FOGs are a plumber's worst nightmare and include gravy, ice cream, cream, cooking oils, salad dressings, butter and lard. If you’ve cooked a roast, don’t even think about draining off the hot meat fat down your sink.

In London alone more than 100 tonnes of fat are poured down sinks every day, according to Thames Water, which has to clear more than 100,000 blockages a year – saying that solidified fat is responsible for more than half.

Simms said: “Fats such as these are big contributors to blocked pipes, as well as adding to significant fatbergs.”

5. Fruit and veg stickers

Don’t forget to pull any stickers off your fruit and vegetables before you wash them.

If they go down the plughole, the adhesive backing could get stuck to the sides of your pipes or any other debris and cause a blockage. As they are often made from inorganic materials, they won't dissolve in water or in most chemicals.

6. Custard.

Not an obvious FOG, but custard is a problem if poured down the sink. It can coat pipes and lead to blockages.

7. Cream liqueurs

Cream liqueurs have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years and you won't just find Baileys on our supermarket shelves. These creamy alcoholic drinks are flavoured with everything from mango and strawberry to espresso and salted caramel.

However, whatever the flavouring, they are all classed as FOG and can wreak havoc on pipes.

8. Toxic chemicals

Cleaning products, paints, oils, and solvents can't be removed by wastewater treatment plants

9. Coffee grounds

Easy tip to keep your drain clear

Coupe has this simple tip 

"The acid in white vinegar is an organic solvent that can help remove build up in the pipes, so pouring a cup and letting it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing with hot water once a week is by the far the best way to keep your drains clean.

"We all know how bicarbonate of soda and vinegar also react and this can provide a great natural cleaning solution to also clean our drains.

"Alternatively pouring boiling water to clean your kitchen pipes will depend on the type of water pipe installed below your kitchen drain rather, the pipeline’s material."

How to avoid blocks in your bathroom

Items that can cause bathroom blockages and backlogs.

• Feminine hygiene products.
• Cotton balls and buds - Cotton is an extremely absorbent material that will expand in your drains.
• Wet wipes can damage home plumbing and public sewers - Thames Water has removed an estimated 19 billion wet wipes from its sewers every five years, costing at least £90m.
• Medications can pose a severe environmental risk.

Grant Mitchell, sewer blockages lead at Severn Trent Water, said: “Our work preventing and clearing blockages is something we take very seriously.

"Only the three P’s, that’s pee, poo and (toilet) paper, should be flushed down the toilet and everyone should also avoid putting fats, oils and greases down the sink. Just making sure you follow these steps can avoid awful blockages in your home.

“We clear a staggering number of blockages from the likes of wet wipes and other offenders such as nappies, sanitary products, fats, oils and greases and even toys. 

"We want people to start thinking before they flush or pour anything down the sink.”