Keeping kitchen drains clear through the holidays

The usual suspects

Grease and fat are the biggest problem. They pour as a liquid but cool and harden in the pipe, catching everything that follows. Potato peels, rice and pasta swell and form a paste. Coffee grounds, eggshells and fibrous vegetables like celery and onion skins collect in traps and bends.

Habits that prevent clogs

Pour cooled grease into a can or jar and throw it out. Scrape plates into the trash or compost before rinsing. Run cold water before, during and after using the disposal. Do not overload the disposal; feed it a little at a time.

If you host large meals often, a yearly kitchen line cleaning keeps the branch line clear.

Garbage disposal tips

Disposals grind food, but they do not make grease or starch disappear. If a disposal hums and will not spin, turn off the power and use the hex wrench on the bottom to free it, then press reset. Our disposal repair page explains more.

If the sink backs up anyway

Stop running water and the dishwasher. Do not pour chemical drain cleaners into a full sink; they can harm pipes and anyone who works on the drain afterward. Try a sink plunger with the other basin plugged. If that does not work, call us.

The day after a big meal

The most common holiday backup happens the morning after, when the dishwasher runs a full load, the disposal processes leftovers and the sink fills with roasting pans. A narrow, grease-coated kitchen branch line cannot keep up.

Spread the load. Run the dishwasher overnight, wait an hour before the next load, and scrape pans into the trash instead of the disposal.

Guests and bathrooms

Extra guests mean extra flushes. Keep a plunger in every bathroom, and put a small trash can beside each toilet so wipes and other items do not end up in the line. Wipes labeled flushable still cause many main line clogs.

If several fixtures start draining slowly during a gathering, stop running water where you can and call before it becomes a backup.

When it is more than the sink

If the sink backs up and a tub or toilet also gurgles or fills, the problem is in the main line, not the kitchen. That needs a main line cleaning through the cleanout.

Questions readers ask