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Do you have a sweet tooth? There’s nothing better than baking at home on a sunny (or even rainy) afternoon in Mansfield, TX. Not only will your entire home smell absolutely divine, but you’ll also get to enjoy the products of your labor at the end of the day. If you’re a baker or if you’re someone who simply loves making desserts, it’s important that you be careful of what you toss into the drain. It’s very easy for a lot of the ingredients that are used in desserts to make their way into the drains. At which point, they might become a blockage that requires some extensive drain cleaning services from a professional.
The best thing that you can do is to compost most of the ingredients or as much as you can. In this article, we’ll look at some of the more dangerous ingredients to be aware of. Make sure that you compost these ingredients instead of tossing them down the drain. If you’re concerned that your baking or patisserie needs are causing your drains to constantly become clogged, it’s important that you look for a Mansfield, TX drain cleaning service that offers some type of video inspection with their work. The video inspection will tell you a lot about the ingredients that make their way down the drains, so you can be more mindful of your cooking.
#1. Flour
If you’ve ever tried to make cake, cookies or any type of pastries, you’ll likely agree that there’s quite a lot of flour in the kitchen by the time that you’re down. Now, some people will collect all of the flour and put it in a jar for future use. However, in most cases, homeowners will simply just wash it off the countertops and let the flour go down the drain. After all, this is perhaps one of the easiest ways to clean up the mess.
Unfortunately, this can be a huge problem. If you’re regularly washing flour off the kitchen surfaces and letting it go down the drain, you’re opening yourself up to a lot of heartache and headache in the future. The flour can easily harden or become a ball inside your drains. When this happens, the flour will be quite difficult to remove, and you’ll likely need to call a professional drain cleaner to get the job done.
We highly recommend that you use as little flour as possible, so you don’t waste any. Try to reuse some flour that’s made its way to the countertops and wipe surfaces with a damp paper towel before you wipe it down with a cloth. The key is to get as much of the flour into the compost bin or garbage can as possible. It really doesn’t matter what type of flour you have in your home. Avoid washing any flour down the drain if possible in order to avoid costly and time-consuming drain cleaning.
#2. Eggshells
Many dessert recipes ask for eggshells, so this is actually one of the most common ingredients that you’ll often find in a home. While most people compost eggshells, many others tend to just crumble it up and let it wash down the drain. While eggshells do seem rather innocent and safe to wash down the drains, they’re really not. If you make a habit of washing your eggshells down the drain, you’ll need to call us for drain cleaning services rather regularly.
While the eggshells themselves don’t usually cause a lot of problems, the problem begins when the eggshells come into contact with something else like soap scum. The eggshells basically transform seemingly innocent ingredients into major obstacles and blockages that require extensive drain cleaning services in your Mansfield, TX home.
The best thing that you can do for your eggshells is to toss them in the garden. Eggshells contain a lot of nutrients and minerals in them, like calcium, protein, magnesium, selenium, and more. These nutrients can do wonders for your yard. If you regularly toss your eggshells into your yard, you might notice that your plants look healthier and stronger as time passes. It’s also a good idea because you’ll be doing the environment some good. Bugs and birds love eggshells.
#3. Gelatin
Have you ever made jello or any type of dessert that requires some hold, like mousse? There’s a good chance that you’re going to need gelatin in the recipe. Unfortunately, it’s rather easy for gelatin to become a major clog in the drains. Have you ever tried to bloom gelatin, but let it sit for just a little too long? By the time that you get back to it, the gelatin will have hardened and become a difficult ingredient to work with once the water has dried or once the water has become cold.
The same thing that happens to soap scum happens to gelatin when you wash it down the drain. This seemingly innocent and innocuous ingredient suddenly transforms and becomes a huge headache. It’s really easy for gelatin to become a major obstruction in your drains. For one, it’s usually quite chunky in texture, so it will slowly make its way down the drains. Halfway through, it’ll start to dry up and harden. When it does, it’s basically impossible to get rid of the gelatin without a professional drain cleaning service.
#4. Sugar and Syrup
Desserts would not be complete without sugar and syrup. This is another common ingredient that you’ll find in the Mansfield, TX kitchen. But, what happens if you pour out a little too much sugar and syrup? Some people have a bad habit of trying to wash away the evidence immediately. After all, no one wants to have sugar or syrup sitting around on any surface. Not only can these ingredients attract bugs and vermin, but they can make your home feel less comfortable. There’s nothing worse than putting your hand down on the counter only to find that it has now become a sticky mess.
Your first reaction might be to toss the leftovers into the kitchen drain. However, that’s not a good idea. Sugar and syrups can easily harden and become a nightmare to deal with. Worst of all, sugar and syrup is a source of energy for bacteria, virus, fungi, and more. The hardened sugar and syrup will not only damage your drains, but will also attract unnecessary vermin and pests. This is why we highly recommend that you get a professional drain cleaning service to get rid of the problem as soon as possible.
#5. Butter
If you’ve ever made cookies, croissants, or any baked goods, you’ll know how important it is to have good butter. It’s important to savor this ingredient. Cut it with a clean knife, and put the remaining into the fridge or on a butter tray. The last thing that you want to do, however, is to wash some of the butter down the drain. Fats and greases are notoriously difficult to remove. They basically coat the inside of your drains and wreak havoc.
It’s easy for butter to become liquefied when it’s warm. This gives it more opportunities to wash down the kitchen drains without anyone batting an eye. However, the liquefied butter will easily harden as temperatures drop. Eventually, it’ll just become a hard lump in the drains. These lumps will continue to block other things from going down the drain as well.
#6. Coffee Grounds
Even if you don’t like desserts, you likely drink coffee. After all, the majority of Americans prefer a cup of coffee when they wake up. This is another ingredient that you need to be wary of. Make sure that you never wash any coffee grounds down the kitchen drain, as it’ll increase your chances of needing drain cleaning services in the future. The coffee grounds basically harden and become an obstruction that requires drain cleaning services to remove.
Another good thing that you can do with coffee grounds is to mix them in with your soil. You’d be surprised by just how many nutrients and vitamins are inside coffee grounds. Your plants will look and feel healthier and stronger. If you’re growing vegetables and fruits, you can usually see a noticeable difference in the quality of the produce.
#7. Soft Candy
Do you like soft candies like caramel? While these sweets are absolutely delicious, you also need to make sure that they don’t make their way to the kitchen drains or to the garbage disposal. These soft candies can easily get stuck on the sides of the drains. If not, they can also get stuck on the garbage disposal.
#8. Stringy Fruits and Vegetables
Have you ever made jam? Or, do you use fruits and vegetables to decorate your cakes and pastries? If you do, make sure that you don’t wash any of the stringy vegetables and fruits down the drain, as they basically act in a similar way to hair. You’ll need to find a professional drain cleaning service to come to fix the problem at a later time.
Sometimes, the strings or the refiners can even entangle the garbage disposal and make a huge mess. Sometimes, the fibers ball up and become a large obstacle that makes its way slowly down the drains. These obstacles can take a long time to wash away or to compost. As a result, you’ll be left with a clogged kitchen sink that requires professional drain cleaning services.
#9. Produce Stickers
Last but not least, be careful when you’re washing your fruits and vegetables. It’s super easy for produce stickers to fall off and into the sink when you’re washing your vegetables and fruits. Unfortunately, the plastic and adhesive backing is not water-soluble. In fact, these stickers will often make their way into treatment plants down the line and will block screens and filters. You can make a huge difference by removing the stickers before you clean your vegetables and fruits.
If you plan on making some type of jam or filling with fruits and vegetables, it’s even more important for you to get rid of the produce stickers as soon as possible. The last thing that you want is to accidentally incorporate the produce stickers into your recipe. You’re going to need a whole lot more than drain cleaning services in that situation.
#10. Nuts and Seeds
Last but not least, it’s important that you also avoid tossing nuts and seeds down the kitchen drain, as it’ll only increase your need for drain cleaning services in the future. In fact, many homeowners find that they need drain cleaning services because the nuts and seeds also damage the garbage disposal; thus, rendering it less effective. You’d be surprised at just how quickly the blade can dull when it is constantly chopping up hard items, like almonds and walnuts.
Call Us for Fast, Reliable Drain Cleaning Services in Mansfield, TX
If you love to eat desserts or if you love making your own at home, then you know just how sticky and gross the kitchen can become. It’s important that you stay mindful of what you toss down the drains in order to avoid extensive and costly drain cleaning services in Mansfield, TX. Implementing preventative measures is always better than having to schedule multiple drain cleaning services throughout the year. Once you need the drain cleaning services, it’s usually a sign that your drains have already been affected.
Here, at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth, we are committed to excellence. Our team is trained on how to complete all plumbing services, including drain cleaning services. We strive for excellence and are known for our excellent customer service. More importantly, we value your time. That’s why we’ll pay you if there’s ever a delay. In fact, if we’re late for a service appointment, we’ll pay you $5 for every minute that we’re late!
For fast and reliable drain cleaning services in Mansfield, TX, give us a call at 817-983-7876. We guarantee that we will always work towards exceeding your expectations. You’ll definitely be more than satisfied with the results.