Most clogs don't happen all at once — they build up slowly, day after day, from a handful of habits that seem totally harmless. Here's the short list of things we'd never send down a drain, and what to do instead.
1. Cooking Grease & Oil
Grease might pour down the sink as a liquid, but it cools and hardens inside the pipe, coating the walls layer by layer. Over time it builds into a thick sludge that catches everything else — food scraps, soap scum, hair. That's how a slow drain becomes a full backup.
Instead: Pour grease into a can or jar, let it cool, and toss it in the trash. Use a paper towel to wipe greasy pans before washing.
2. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds don't dissolve — they settle in low spots and bends, where they pack down into a gritty plug that's a magnet for other debris.
Instead: Compost them, or throw them in the trash. They belong in the garden, not your pipes.
3. "Flushable" Wipes
Just because the packaging says flushable doesn't mean it's sewer-safe. Most wipes don't break apart the way toilet paper does — they hold together and tangle, and they're one of the most common causes of sewer backups we see.
Instead: Trash can, every time.
4. Eggshells & Fibrous Food Scraps
Membrane-covered eggshells and stringy or fibrous scraps (celery, corn husks, onion skins) wrap around blades and lodge in pipe joints. They gather debris and feed slow-drain conditions.
Instead: Scrape plates into the trash first, and run your disposal with plenty of cold water.
5. "Convenience" Solid Fat Products
Bacon grease, butter, lard, and shortening solidify at room temperature. Even a small amount each week adds up over a year to a serious build-up.
Instead: Same rule as grease — cool it, container it, trash it.
The Bottom Line
Take care of your drains and most problems never start. If one does — a slow drain, bad smell, or backup — catching it early is way easier (and cheaper) than letting it become a full sewer call.
Not sure what's going on in your pipes? We offer camera inspections so there's no guesswork — we can look and tell you exactly what's down there.