Every homeowner has a story about a drain disaster, standing ankle-deep in water during dish duty, or worse, facing an unexpected plumbing bill that could’ve been avoided.
The truth is, many of these problems start with what we send swirling down our sinks. Some habits seem harmless in the moment, but they can cause serious trouble for your pipes later on and might force you to call an emergency plumber.
That’s why it helps to know the worst things to put down your drain, and what Minneapolis homeowners have learned the hard way.
1. Grease, Fats, and Cooking Oils
These substances are truly some of the worst things to put down your drain. Grease goes down hot and liquid but cools into sticky sludge that clings to pipe walls.
Over time, it narrows the passageway until nothing flows through. One Minneapolis family learned this the hard way when repeated grease dumping led to a full kitchen backup, right before Thanksgiving dinner.
2. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are items you should never pour down the drain. Sure, we all love our morning rituals, but tossing wet grounds down the sink is a recipe for clogs. Coffee doesn’t break down; instead, it clumps together like sand.
Combined with grease, it hardens into a stubborn mass that resists plungers. A local café once had to shut its kitchen for hours because staff routinely rinsed grounds into the sink.
3. Eggshells
Many people think eggshells “sharpen” garbage disposal blades. That’s a myth. In reality, the shells’ membrane wraps around the blades while the gritty bits create sediment that sticks to pipe walls, slowly choking the line.
4. Pasta and Rice
Pasta and rice absorb water and expand, even after they’ve been cooked. When they sit in the drain, they swell and trap other debris, turning into a cement-like clog.
One Minneapolis homeowner recalled a sink so jammed with noodles that it required professional hydro jetting to clear.
5. Flour
It seems harmless until it mixes with water. Flour forms a gluey paste that coats the inside of pipes. Once hardened, it can be harder to break down than grease, making it one of the most underestimated culprits.
6. Bones
Chicken wings, rib bones, and even small bones are definitely things you should never put down your drain. Avoid putting them in a garbage disposal as well. Blades can’t grind them fine enough, leaving sharp fragments that snag other waste on their way down.
Over time, those shards become the backbone of a major clog.
7. Fibrous Vegetables
Celery, asparagus, corn husks, and onion skins all share one trait: stringy fibers that wrap around disposal blades. Instead of cutting cleanly, they tangle, causing jams and sometimes even burning out the motor.
A repair call for a jammed disposal often traces back to fibrous veggies.
8. “Flushable” Wipes
Despite the label, flushable wipes aren’t truly safe for plumbing. They don’t disintegrate like toilet paper, and they often catch on rough spots in pipes, leading to blockages deep in the system.
Minneapolis sewer crews have reported entire pipe sections blocked by wipes, a problem that costs homeowners dearly.
9. Cotton Balls, Paper Towels, and Feminine Products
Absorbent materials expand with water, making them notorious clog-causers. Once lodged in a pipe, they can act like a dam, stopping everything else in its tracks. Even a single paper towel can block a narrow pipe.
10. Medication
It won’t clog pipes, but flushing pills or pouring liquid medicine down drains introduces harmful chemicals into Minneapolis’ water system.
Wastewater treatment plants aren’t designed to remove every pharmaceutical, so proper disposal is key. Most pharmacies offer take-back programs that are safe and free.
11. Household Chemicals and Paint
Harsh chemicals corrode pipes and damage septic systems. Paint, meanwhile, coats pipes with a sticky layer that captures other debris.
Over time, that sticky coating narrows the line just like grease does. Safe disposal programs at local facilities are a far better option.
12. Kitty Litter
Even “flushable” varieties expand with water and create blockages. Plus, cat waste contains parasites that treatment plants may not eliminate fully, posing environmental risks.
For Minneapolis homes with older plumbing, kitty litter is one of the quickest ways to a costly repair bill.
Why These Mistakes Keep Happening
Most of these items end up in drains because homeowners believe garbage disposals can handle “anything.” In reality, disposals are designed for small food scraps, not as a catch-all trash system. Another reason? Convenience.
Tossing grease down the sink is faster than scraping it into the trash, but that shortcut can cost hundreds in plumbing repairs.
And with Minnesota’s cold winters, fats and oils solidify even faster in frozen pipes, making the problem worse here than in warmer regions.
How Minneapolis Plumbers Fix the Damage
When drains clog from these materials, plumbers bring out heavy-duty solutions:
🔹 Drain snaking to break up clumps of food, wipes, or fibrous waste
🔹 Hydro jetting for grease-coated pipes or starchy buildup from pasta and rice, high-pressure water scours the pipe walls clean
🔹 Camera inspections to pinpoint deeper problems, like corroded pipes or tree root intrusions
🔹 Pipe replacement when repeated abuse has weakened plumbing beyond repair
Professional plumbers also spot issues homeowners can’t see, such as sagging pipes where water collects or small cracks that invite debris.
Smarter Habits That Keep Drains Clear
🔹 Keep a small container for grease and throw it away once it solidifies.
🔹 Compost coffee grounds, eggshells, and vegetable scraps instead of rinsing them down.
🔹 Use sink strainers to catch stray pasta or rice before it slips through.
🔹 Dispose of wipes, cotton products, and kitty litter in the trash and not the toilet.
🔹 Run hot water for a few seconds after using the sink to help move small particles through.
Even simple shifts in kitchen and bathroom routines can add years to your plumbing system and save you from emergency calls.
Conclusion: Protect Your Drains Before It’s Too Late
Understanding the worst things you can put down your drain is the first step to avoiding costly repairs.
From grease and coffee grounds to wipes and kitty litter, these everyday items can wreak havoc on your plumbing if ignored. If you’re already facing a slow or clogged drain, don’t wait for it to get worse.
The team at Do It Right Plumbing Sewer & Services has seen it all and, more importantly, knows how to fix it for good.
Years of experience serving Minneapolis neighborhoods have taught us how to handle just about any plumbing issue you can imagine. Just to name a few, we take care of:
🔹 Drain line cleaning and repair
🔹 Laundry fixture installation
🔹 …and much more.
Minneapolis homeowners trust us to keep water flowing smoothly, without the costly surprises. Contact us today, and we’ll be on our way to fix any plumbing problem you face!