Australians have been warned against common kitchen crimes that can leave pipes clogged with grime and grease.
Pouring cooking oil down the sink or not wiping down greasy pans with paper towels before washing them can lead to “disgusting” clogs that can become a “health and environmental nightmare.”
Being aware of the foods and oils going down the kitchen drain can prevent clogs known as “fatbergs” and help homeowners avoid a huge plumbing bill.
Sydney Water issued the warning showing what fatbergs look like and “disgusting” hundreds.
‘Fats, oils and grease should never go down the drain. When they come into contact with cold water from sewage pipes, they harden,” he said. mail on Facebook read.
Australians were horrified by the image of a ‘fatberg’ in a kitchen pipe. Fatbergs are a buildup of cooking oils, grease, and grease that have been flushed down the drain.
“They then combine with other debris, such as wet wipes, to form hard blockages known as ‘fatbergs.'”
Fatbergs can cause overflows and sewage to pool and overflow into homes, backyards and local waterways, causing homeowners to shell out hundreds of dollars for a plumber.
There are four main ways Australians can prevent fatbergs from building up in their pipes, starting by scraping up food scraps and putting them into the bin or compost.
Always wipe greasy pans with paper towels before washing, pour used oils and fats into a container like an old jar or milk container, then throw it in the trash and be sure to use a sink strainer to catch any small pieces of food.
Fatbergs can be avoided by wiping greasy pans with a paper towel before washing and pouring used oils into a container such as an old jar or milk container and throwing it in the trash.
Users were horrified by the fatberg image and shared how they remove fat when cooking.
‘We just soak oil with the crust of the bread and throw it in the trash, why waste paper?’ said a woman.
“I put used oil into empty pasta sauce jars,” a second wrote, and a third responded, “Or better yet, take those jars to your community recycling center – in many areas, oils can be recycled!” .
‘If you need to dispose of old cooking oils etc, put some cat litter in the bottom of an empty one liter milk or juice carton. The cat litter will absorb it and clump it up, then you can wrap it all up and throw it in the trash bin,” another suggested.
‘I put the used oils and fats in an old coffee jar and keep it in the refrigerator, where they harden. Then when it’s full, I freeze it and throw it in the trash,’ someone recommended.
