Close Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Our Word Chefs
  • Write for us
  • Categories ———-
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Retail
  • Health
  • ——————
  • Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Cookies
Facebook X (Twitter)
  • Home
  • Latest
  • About
  • Our Word Chefs
  • Write for us
  • Contact
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Food Future
  • Food & Drink
  • Health
  • Events
  • Entertainment
  • Hospitality
  • Retail
  • Travel
  • News
Food Future
Home » Latest » The common products that can cost block your pipes and cost you £££s
News

The common products that can cost block your pipes and cost you £££s

Karen ContrinoBy Karen Contrino04/12/20244 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

An expert is warning Brits about the common household products that can be disastrous for your pipes – and your wallet. The everyday items could block your pipework if disposed of down the sink or toilet, with the resulting damage potentially costing hundreds of pounds.

According to an expert plumber from MyBuilder.com, the reliable way to hire tradespeople, items such as the popular drink Baileys, as well as coffee grounds, are a common cause of blockages. If disposed of down the sink, these products could cause clogging in the pipes, leading to a costly call out, especially if it causes an issue over the Christmas break, when emergency callout charges may apply.

Mike Flook, an expert plumber from MyBuilder.com, said that many blockages in kitchen sinks are caused by products the majority of us use, but are not aware they are problematic to pour down piping.

“While it may seem that liquids like creamy drinks or leftover gravy could be washed down the sink, the reality is that they can cause serious issues, especially if it’s a repeated action.

“The result can be that, depending on the product and where you tipped it, you could face blocked toilets or sinks. While this is a pain at any time of the year, at Christmas when plumbers can be hard to come by, it is doubly frustrating and costly.

“However, there are steps you can take to avoid making these mistakes, as well as emergency actions you can take to help mitigate any disasters should you have accidentally flushed or poured something you shouldn’t.”

Here are MyBuilder.com’s tips to avoid any household disasters this holiday season.

Baileys

Cream liqueur drinks, such as the popular Christmas favourite, Baileys, can be a problem for your plumbing at Christmas. While it may be delicious to drink, it doesn’t keep for long, and might end up down the sink.

However, this sort of beverage should never be disposed of in this way. Cream liqueurs have a large fat content, and as such falls into the category of FOG (Fats, Oils, and Greases). FOG should never go down the sink, as it sticks to pipes and can cause blockages. It’s also what’s responsible for “fatbergs” in our sewers.

Leftover Turkey Fat

As with Baileys, turkey fat is classed as FOG. Half the population admit to pouring FOG down the drain, but don’t be one of them. The problem with pouring leftover fat down the drain is it will cool, which can lead to blockages and fatbergs in your pipes.

Calling out a plumber on Christmas Day is not easy – both in terms of availability and on the wallet. Emergency callouts can be four times as expensive as a regular one – and even more at Christmas.

Flushed away

Many people get glammed up for Christmas – but extra people making extra effort can lead to big issues if they don’t dispose of their rubbish correctly.

Makeup remover pads, cotton balls, and wet wipes should never be flushed down the toilet, yet they often are. In 2017, an investigation into sewer blockages found that wet wipes accounted for a massive 93 per cent of blockages. Ensure your guests know to throw these items in the bin – and ensure you have provided one!

Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds may seem like an innocent item to wash down the sink, but actually, they are a prime candidate for clogging pipes. They can clump together in U bends and cause a tricky blockage, especially if they get mixed up with other foodstuffs. Instead, you can use your coffee grounds to mix with soil in your garden as an effective fertiliser – or pop it in your bin.

 

If you do accidentally put FOGs down the sink, there are some important dos and don’ts:

  1. DO Immediately run the hot water. Heat from the water can help to dissolve grease and fats, and keep them in liquid form until they are out of your pipes and in the sewer. Leave them hot water running for several minutes to be safe.

  2. DON’T run cold water. This will quickly cause the FOG to solidify, blocking your pipes.

  3. DO use dish soap. Adding soap to hot water is a simple and gentle way to help remove the blockages without damaging your pipes.

  4. DON’T use chemicals. Drain unblockers are often ineffective against FOGs, and can cause damage to your pipes in the process. A plunger is likely to be more effective, and is gentle, so ensure you have one in the house just in case.

Post Views: 327
Karen Contrino

Related Posts

News 26/05/2025

ICL Calcium Carbonate: A Versatile Ingredient for Diverse Industries

News 21/05/2025

From Texture to Trauma: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Aversions in Children

Press Release 12/05/2025

THE BRUSH EAST LONDON GRAND CAFÉ: CAFÉ CULTURE & COCKTAILS

Press Release 12/05/2025

Introducing The Vitamins Co.: Elevating Everyday Wellness with Methylated, Science-Backed Supplements

Top Picks

ICL Calcium Carbonate: A Versatile Ingredient for Diverse Industries

26/05/2025

Best Vegan Snacks for Kids: Healthy, Easy, and Fun

23/05/2025

From Texture to Trauma: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Aversions in Children

21/05/2025

Types of Online Roulette: Why Classic Online Roulette with Dealer Is the Most Popular One

21/05/2025
Socialise With Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Here at Food Future, we are a dedicated team of culinary enthusiasts passionate about writing food and drink experiences.

Beyond being a mere collection of recipes and guides, our platform is a celebration of the rich culinary landscape.

Join us in tasting the essence of tomorrow, today!

hello@foodfuture.org.uk

Our Picks

Mayur Indian Restaurant, Where Authentic Flavors Meet Timeless Tradition

By Sam Allcock29/04/2025

Mars and Kellanova Mega Merger Set to Create $60 Billion Powerhouse

By Sam Allcock07/08/2024

Smart Cities, Rich Heritage: Abbas Sherif Alaskari’s Vision for the Future of Dubai’s Skylines

By Karen Contrino06/05/2025

Subscribe for Updates

Unleash a world of flavour in your inbox – subscribe now for a taste of Food Future's culinary delights

  • Home
  • About
  • Our Word Chefs
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Sitemap
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn
© FoodFuture.org.uk | All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}