Everyday items can clog pipes and damage your plumbing system. This page covers common things that should never go down the drain, and where to put them instead. A few simple kitchen and bathroom habits help prevent blocked drains and costly repairs at home.
Fats, Oils and Grease
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) may flow while hot, but these substances solidify as they cool. Pouring cooking oil, salad dressings or leftover fat into the sink lets them coat the inside of pipes. Grease traps food and other debris, creating blockages. Hot water may move oil further along the plumbing system, but it does not remove it. In a 2023 survey, Water UK found that 27% of UK adults put cooking fats down the sink. Source: Water UK survey, 2023.
Avoid pouring fats, oil and grease down any drain. Let the pan cool, scoop thick grease into a container and put it in the bin; check local guidance for larger amounts of used oil. Wipe plates and pans before washing dishes. This easy habit can save your pipes, your wallet and the time needed to clear a blockage.
Food Scraps
Food scraps belong in a food waste caddy, a compost bin where suitable, or the household bin. A sink strainer catches small bits while washing up, but scrape plates first. Even tiny pieces of food can get stuck or cling to grease and other debris.
Cooked rice and pasta absorb water and expand inside a pipe. Fibrous vegetables such as celery, potato peels and fruit peel can catch on rough edges or wrap around the blades of a waste disposal unit. These items can create blockages rather than washing away.
Before washing dishes, scrape food scraps, bones and egg shells into the right bin. A compost bin may take fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds and some eggshells, but follow local compost guidance. Remove produce stickers: the plastic labels do not compost easily.
If your sink has a waste disposal unit, check its instructions rather than assuming it can handle every food item. Starchy scraps and fibrous vegetables can still clog a drain after the unit breaks them into bits.
Keeping food out of the sink helps protect kitchen plumbing and reduces the chance of blocked drains. Check the strainer at the end of each day and empty it into the bin.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds do not dissolve in water. Grounds from a filter or coffee machine can gather inside pipes and mix with grease, forming a sticky paste. Repeated rinsing can lead to significant blockages. Even a sink strainer may let fine coffee grounds through.
Scoop coffee grounds into a compost bin where accepted, or put them in the bin. If you compost at home, add coffee grounds in moderation. Never dump a full cup of grounds into the sink: keeping them out is a simple way to avoid plumbing problems.
Blocked Drains Near Me
Struggling with a drain blockage? Let us help. Tru Flow Drainage serve a 25-30 mile radius of Fleetwood and Thornton. Call today for drainage specialists in Fylde, Wyre, Blackpool and throughout Lancashire and the following areas:
Hair
Hair from washing, shaving and grooming often causes blocked bathroom drains. It tangles with soap and other debris, gets stuck inside pipes and builds a clog over time. Slow drainage is an early sign.
Use a drain cover in the bath or shower to catch hair. Empty it into the bin after washing, and check it every week.
Avoid forcing hair further inside the drain or relying on bleach to fix it. Bleach and other harmful chemicals can pose safety risks when mixed with cleaning products, and will not remove a solid tangle.
If the drain is blocked, remove hair you can reach safely. If water still backs up, a drainage specialist can find and resolve the cause without making damage worse.
Wet Wipes and Baby Wipes
Wet wipes, including products labelled "flushable", do not break apart in pipes like toilet paper. They catch on grease and other waste, causing blockages in household plumbing and sewers. In 2025 the UK government cited research finding that wet wipes contribute to 94% of sewer blockages and said these cost water companies around £200 million a year to clear. Source: UK government announcement, 2025.
Put all wipes in the bin, even if the packet says flushable. Paper towels, cotton balls and feminine hygiene products belong there too. Unlike human waste and toilet paper, these items can stay intact long enough to block a toilet or reach wastewater treatment plants. Wipes containing plastic can also pollute rivers and other waterways.
Flour, rice and other starchy leftovers
Flour is not totally water soluble. Excess flour mixed with water can form a sticky paste that clings to the inside of pipes; more washing can push it deeper rather than break it up. Scrape flour from a bowl into the bin before rinsing. Cooked pasta and rice can behave similarly when trapped with other debris.
Do not assume a large quantity will dissolve just because it began as small particles. Whether baking or clearing plates after dinner, keep solids out of the sink. A few seconds scraping food away can prevent a clog that is hard to shift later.
Eggshells, peels and kitchen waste
Eggshells and fruit peels should not go down the drain. Small pieces of shell collect with grease; fibrous peel and celery can become stuck around disposal blades. Potato peels, bones and produce stickers belong outside the plumbing. Where your local scheme accepts them, compost suitable food scraps; otherwise use the correct waste bin.
A waste disposal unit is designed to break some food into smaller pieces, but it cannot make every scrap vanish. Be mindful of what you feed it. If it stops, switch it off and follow its safety instructions before inspecting it; never put a hand near the blades.
What should go down the toilet?
Flush human waste and toilet paper only. Wipes are not totally water soluble, whatever a flushable claim on a packet says. They can snag inside pipes, join with fats and cause severe damage when a blockage backs up into a home. Keep a bathroom bin close to the toilet so it is easy to throw away wipes and other hygiene items.
A blocked toilet can lead to public sewer problems too. Wastewater escaping after a blockage can pose a severe environmental risk to rivers and wildlife. The best prevention is to keep solid waste out before it enters the system.
Medicines, paints and household chemicals
Unused or expired medications should never be poured into a sink or flushed. Take expired medications and other unused medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal; NHS guidance advises against putting them in household waste or the toilet. Wastewater treatment plants are not a disposal route for medicines, and keeping them out helps protect water quality.
Leftover paints, solvents and toxic chemicals can pose problems for drains and the environment. Do not pour paints or strong cleaning products into the sink, and never mix bleach with vinegar or other cleaning products. Store liquids in their original container and check local hazardous waste advice so you can safely dispose of them. Some substances can damage pipes or waterways without creating a visible clog; council guidance on hazardous waste explains why drains are not the place for chemicals.
A practical routine for keeping drains clear
Before washing up, scrape food from plates, wipe away grease and empty the sink strainer. In the bathroom, clear the hair catcher and keep a bin for wipes. If you find a slow drain, deal with it early: a rising water level or recurring smell can lead to bigger issues. Avoid pouring chemical mixtures down the pipe to break up a solid blockage.
These habits cannot prevent every problem, but they reduce the likelihood of a clog and help keep water flowing. If a blockage keeps returning, a professional inspection can locate the cause and show whether there is damage inside the pipe. That is more useful than repeatedly treating the same symptom.
Sources for the figures: Water UK survey (2023) and UK government announcement (2025).
Struggling with a drain blockage in your home? Let us help. We are a drainage contractor that has been resolving drainage issues for local homes, businesses, and property developers for more than 25 years.
