Don’t you hate the big nuisance of grease-clogged drains?
Yes! Clogged drains are one of Australia’s most frustrating plumbing problems; several factors can cause this problem. For instance, throwing food waste and leftovers down the kitchen drain can cause grease clogs.
A grease-clogged pipe can also start to rot from within, and this causes your drain to have a foul smell. However, you can eliminate a grease-clogged drain if you follow the steps mentioned in our guide.
Apart from this, we have mentioned some ways to prevent grease-blocked drains from occurring again. Follow the steps correctly, and your kitchen drain will be restored quickly, preventing future drain issues.
So, let’s proceed with our guide on how to remove grease from drain pipes.
How Do The Sinks Get Clogged By Grease
There are two ways a sink can get clogged by grease, which are as follows:
A. Food
Grease, fat, and oil are usually found in food items such as dairy, rice, egg shells, cooked vegetables, animal fat, bacon grease, meat, etc. So, any food item used for cooking or preparation can contribute to the grease accumulation in your drain pipes. Besides, if you dump leftover food scraps and vegetable peels in your sink, it can clog the drain.
B. Soap
Generally, soaps are made from vegetable or animal fats, which behave like food waste and leftovers that clog the drains. The oil, fat, and grease from the soap clump up with the fat in the food scrap, and this causes your sink drain to get severely clogged by grease. You can avoid this problem by using fat-free soaps available on the market.
Where Does Grease Accumulate?
The kitchen sink is one of the most common places where you can find grease accumulation. By throwing waste down the plughole, grease and other fats enter the drain systems and flow down the drain.
Additionally, warm dish soap water helps this grease to travel easily down the drain without any interruptions, and this causes grease to accumulate within the kitchen sink. A slow-draining sink is one of the most common signs of a clogged sink.
How Do You Remove Grease From Drain Pipes
Depending on the severity of the grease clogs in your drain, the method to clear it may differ. On that note, we have listed five home remedies that can help you clean your sink drain.
1. Boiling Hot Water Method
If you plan to clean the clogged drain pipes, boiling hot water is a great way to flush drains. However, you must first check if your pipes are metal or plastic. Especially if the pipe is overly corroded, plastic pipes will quickly melt from the boiling water’s heat, potentially leading to significant property damage.
Pour down boiling water through the metal drain pipe, which will help dissolve grease and cooking oil, restoring your drain pipe to its clean state. You can repeat the process if the problem persists.
2. Use A Plunger
Another effective way of cleaning the clog is by using a plunger. The plunger works by forcing air to enter the standing water within the drain. This action results in the clog dislodging itself from the pipe walls and being flushed away.
Remember that this method is a short-term solution, and the clog will reappear if you don’t take any preventive steps.
3. Vinegar And Hot Water
You can make yourself a natural drain cleaner by mixing two simple ingredients — white vinegar and hot water. This mixture works like chemical drain cleaners available on the market. Additionally, this mixture is a safer option for cleaning the drain since it is non-toxic and has no adverse effects on your skin.
Start the process of creating a homemade drain cleaner by pouring hot water down the drain pipe, followed by vinegar. It would be best to give the mixture time to react with the grease within the curved pipes. Repeat the process several times until the grease has been removed from the drain.
Add a few tablespoons of baking soda or liquid dish detergent, water, and vinegar. After you have let the mixture sit, slowly pour some more boiling water down the plug hole to clean the drain and curved pipe. This method should facilitate grease removal and prevent future drain clogs inside the pipe.
4. Compressed Air
In this method, you must use compressed air to resolve the drain issue. A CO2 drain gun will be extremely effective for removing the drain clogs by using air pressure to force the clog out. This method breaks down the blockage through intense pressure and eventually flushes it down the drain.
However, This method is recommended only if the above methods have proven ineffective.
5. Hydro Sewer Jet
A hydro sewer jet, also known as a drain cleaning machine, can serve as an effective solution for a sink clogged with grease. Rather than buying this machine, you have the option to rent one for the purpose of cleaning your sink’s blocked drains.
It requires a lot of experience, so you must be careful while using this method. Excess pressure can cause severe damage to your kitchen sink, leading to potentially expensive repairs. So, you should contact a professional plumber if you don’t know how to use this machine.
How To Prevent Grease From Occurring Again?
By remembering the following steps, you can avoid grease accumulation within the drain:
Step 1
Your sink and garbage disposal are designed to carry dirty water away from your home; hence you shouldn’t throw fatty substances rich in grease, fat, and oil. On that note, you should avoid throwing food items such as eggshells, coffee grinds, cooking oil, greasy dishes and other food scraps down your drain.
Step 2
Instead of throwing the scraps into the drain, you can use a bin to collect all the food scraps. Doing this lets you keep the sink clean and your home more hygienic.
Step 3
Another effective way to prevent the grease from clogging the drain is by investing in a dishwasher. A dishwasher is a home appliance designed to wash your utensils and dishes. You can also save time since you don’t have to wash them manually.
The dishwasher, a crucial part of your home’s septic system, will also handle grease and oil from the plates, as it has a separate compartment specifically designed for storing and disposing of oil and grease. Hence, you can get clean plates without damaging your drain systems.
Step 4
If you have a tight budget, you can purchase a fat trap catcher since it is cheap and easily available on the market. It is a type of strainer made of silicone or metal that can be easily attached to the sinkhole. This sink trap prevents food particles and scraps from entering the drain, letting water flow normally without contamination or impurities.
Step 5
Lastly, you can save the excess oils and fats after you have completed your cooking since they can be reused for dishes later. You can save money by consuming less oil while keeping your kitchen sinks clean.
Get That Grease Clog Cleared
Following the right precautions, you can always prevent a drain from getting clogged and keep it clean from grease. For example, always scrape the leftovers from the plates before placing them in the sink. This prevents food waste from adding to grease accumulation.
When combined with baking soda, vinegar works effectively in removing grease and can be used regularly for cleaning drains due to its affordability and efficiency. A fat trap catcher or drain cover is another way of preventing a greasy sink.
It would be best to be careful while cleaning your blocked drain since germs and other harmful bacteria can severely affect your health. Hence, it’s highly recommended to wear protective gear like rubber gloves when undertaking the task of cleaning your clogged sink. We also advise avoiding a chemical drain cleaner, as sometimes harsh chemicals can do more damage than good.
If your drain is clogged severely with grease, it’s advisable to contact a professional drain cleaner with the necessary equipment to handle the job. At Big Blue Plumbing Noosa, our residential and commercial drain cleaners can remove any sink clogged with grease, fat or oils. So, don’t wait — call us today for fast and professionalblocked drain services!
With that, it’s a wrap. See you next time!
