THE COOKOUT WAS PERFECT…BUT YOUR KITCHEN DRAIN DISAGREES!

The post-cookout clog is one of the most common issues around the Milwaukee area, and nearly all of it comes down to what slips down the drain during cleanup:

Summer in Wisconsin means brat fries, grilled corn, and backyards full of friends and family. It also means a kitchen that takes a real beating once everyone’s gone home, and a sink that sometimes registers its complaints the very next morning by refusing to drain.

Here’s how to keep your kitchen flowing all season.

Grease starts the trouble

The biggest offender is grease, and brats and burgers produce plenty of it. It seems perfectly fine going down the drain while it’s hot and liquid, especially with hot water running behind it.

The catch is what happens deeper in the line. As the grease reaches your cooler pipes, it hardens into a waxy layer that clings to the pipe walls and builds up with every cookout. Eventually the drain chokes. Let grease cool in the pan and scrape it into the trash instead. It’s the simplest way to dodge the most common clog of the summer.

Cookout foods that overwhelm a disposal

Your garbage disposal handles everyday scraps fine, but summer cookout foods push it past its limits. Corn husks and cobs, celery strings, onion skins, and fruit rinds are fibrous enough to tangle the blades, while starchy potato peels turn to a gummy paste that coats the chamber.

The easy fix is to scrape plates into the trash before rinsing and let the disposal handle only the little bits that remain. Following up with cold water for thirty seconds helps move everything fully through the pipes.

Watch for the early signs

Your kitchen will tip you off before it fails completely. A slow drain, a gurgling sound, an odor coming up from the sink, or water rising in the other side of a double basin are all signs buildup is forming.

These problems only get worse with time, and the chemical drain cleaners sold at the store can eat away at your pipes. A professional drain cleaning clears it out properly, and our plumbing team handles these calls all summer across southeastern Wisconsin.

Ready for the next round

Cool the grease, scrape the plates, and run cold water after the disposal, and your kitchen will make it through brat fry season without a hitch.

If your sink already has some notes for you, don’t let it escalate. Call us at 262-220-7020 or schedule online, and we’ll get your kitchen draining like new again.