The most common and destructive material homeowners mistakenly pour down their kitchen sink is Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG). While grease may appear to be a liquid when hot, as soon as it cools, it congeals and sticks to the inside walls of your pipes. Over time, these sticky deposits layer upon themselves, accumulating food scraps, soap scum, and other debris until they form a rock-solid, intractable blockage.
This hardened mass often requires professional, high-pressure equipment like hydro-jetting to remove. To protect your pipes and prevent expensive service calls, you should always scrape grease into a container (like an old coffee can) and dispose of it in the trash once it solidifies. Remember, even small amounts of butter, cooking oil, or bacon fat contribute to the problem, putting your main sewer line at risk of a catastrophic backup.
