How to Deal With Grease in Your Drain

Drain grease can be a big problem in your home. As grease accumulates inside your drain, the water passage can constrict, causing liquids to overflow from your sink. Once this happens, things can get very messy and smelly inside your kitchen. Follow this guide to remove grease from your drain and save your home from water damage.

Step 1 - Prevention Is the Best Option

Prevention is always the best option, so make sure that you do not pour grease into your kitchen sink. When preparing food, avoid flushing ingredients such as butter, margarine, lard, fats, and other greasy substances into your sink. To clean off greasy plates and kitchen utensils, soak them in grease dissolving cleaner first to break down oil and fats.

For environmental reasons, you should take extra care when using grease dissolving agents at home. Some types of grease dissolving cleaners sold today contain strong chemicals that can be harmful to the environment, so choose your anti-grease cleaners carefully. Try to use brands that use bio-degradable ingredients.

Also consider installing a grease trap in your sink. A grease trap prevents oils, fats, and wax from reaching your drain. Laws in some states even require them in restaurants.

Step 2 - Use the Right Dish Soap

Certain types of dish soaps have active anti-grease features that help prevent your sink from getting clogged up with grease. These types of dish soaps are not meant to remove grease build-up in your drain. Instead, they help prevent the grease from building up.

Step 3 - Use Caustic Cleaners to Clear the Drain

If your drain is clogged with stubborn grease, you may need some caustic cleaners to clear off the blockages. To do this, pour an ample amount of concentrated caustic cleaners into your kitchen sink, then let it stand for at least an hour. If your sink is so badly clogged that water can hardly pass through it, you may need to leave the cleaner in overnight and allow it to eat into the grease blocking your drain. Once the grease has thawed substantially, you may flush your drain with warm, soapy water.

When flushing your drain, you may use an air compressor to force the water into the pipe. Keep flushing until the water starts to flow freely down the drain.

Step 4 - Use Homemade Grease Removers

If you are on a tight budget you can cut costs by making your own homemade grease remover. To make your own grease remover, boil some water then mix 1 part of hot water and 1 part of vinegar. Pour the mixture into your kitchen drain then let it stand for a few minutes. The hot water will help melt off the grease while the vinegar will eat at the grease sticking on the pipes. After pouring the hot water and vinegar mixture into your drain, follow it up with some boiling water. The boiling water should flush the remaining grease from your pipe.

Clogged drains can emit a horrible smell that tends to linger inside your kitchen for some time. To neutralize the awful smell coming from your drain, mix 1 part of hot water and 1 part of bleach, then pour the mixture down the drain. Follow it up with warm, soapy water.

These ways to deal with grease in your drain should get everything flowing again. Just remember to take steps to prevent future clogs.