How to avoid a “fatsicle” in your drain

Firstly, and most importantly, DON’T pour fat down your drain. The best solution is to pour the cooled fat into an old ice cream tub and when that is full, throw it in the trash.

If you find yourself in the position of fat going down your drain, run hot water for a few minutes to break it up.

When poured down the drain, the fat coats the sides of the water line, gradually building up and narrowing pipes. Grease that doesn’t stick to residential pipes eventually makes its way to the city sewer system, where it can accumulate to form massive blockages.

Supermarket remedies are not the answer either. Chemical drain cleaners are not only highly toxic but can pose a potentially high risk to our health.

Chemical drain cleaners produce hazardous fumes that get released into the air. Fumes can linger for hours, creating irritation to your lungs, eyes, nose, throat and skin. Chemical cleaners will not only incite a reaction in humans, your pets are just as vulnerable. Toxins end up in landfills and water supplies, which is harmful to both humans and the environment.

Eventually, if the blockage becomes too large, you will have to call a plumber to clear it out.