When poured down the sink, cooking oil can block your pipes as it cools and hardens. Even if you haven’t run into any issues so far, it’s time to change the habit.

To correctly discard cooking oil, pour it into an old jar or milk jug that you were planning to dispose of, add the lid, and throw the container in the trash.

Used coffee grounds can get caught in the drain. With water running over them, they clump instead of dissolving and soon build up, causing blockages in your sink.

If disposing of coffee grounds in your sink is part of your morning routine, it will eventually turn into a big issue. Instead, toss your coffee grounds in the trash or compost.

Pasta water may not affect your drain, but you still shouldn’t toss it in the sink. After all, you can use it to make delicious soups, sauces, dressings, and more.

To save pasta water for later, use tongs to remove pasta instead of draining, or place a colander over a large pot, drain pasta water into it, and store it in an airtight container.

Avoid disposing of raw or cooked potatoes, potato peels, and scraps down the sink to prevent potential drain and disposal blockages due to their high starch content.

Soft mashed potatoes, creamy potato dishes, and instant mashed potatoes can become just as sticky and cause plumbing problems, so it’s best to toss them in the trash instead.

When you throw cooked rice or pasta down the sink, even accidentally, the water running over them causes them to expand, become sticky, and clog your drain.

Instead, repurpose them for delicious dishes. Leftover rice can be used in fried rice, soups, and risotto, while leftover pasta complements soups and casseroles perfectly.