There are certain items you should never put down your garbage disposal, such as coffee grounds, eggshells, and grease. But in a TikTok with 3.4 million views, a plumber reveals the most harmful chaos agent for your sink, grease.
The video was reposted by TikTok user @thatplum6guy. “DONT PUT GREASE DOWN YOUR SINK,” the original plumber warned in the text overlay. “THE WORST DRAIN BLOCKER OTHER THAN BABY WIPES.” Then, he unveiled what happens if you do so. With a shovel, he pushed a huge light brown chunk out of a pipe, and half of it crumbled into the ground. Most of the water pours out of the pipe. After one more push, the remaining grease tumbled to the ground followed by smaller pieces.
@thatplum6guy never disclosed who the original content creator was or where he found it. Nevertheless, he advised in the caption, “Another grease video ive found, this [one] was eventually cleared. Luckily. Dont put grease down your sink.”
Despite the warning, viewers in the comment section disregarded it.
“Up goes the rent, down goes the grease,” one viewer wrote.
“rent is going up 300 dollars and they still haven’t fixed my maintenance request I put in 4 months ago. grease only goes in the drain,” a second remarked.
“I’m a renter and I still dispose of grease and wipes in the trash because that’s just the logical and correct thing to do LOL,” a third commented.
“I pay 1300 for a subpar 1 bedroom apartment. I’ll put whatever I want down the sink,” a fourth stated.
How does grease damage your pipes?
In a nutshell, the grease solidifies and clogs up the drains. “Grease and cooking oil can cause extensive damage to your drainage system, garbage system, and even sewer system by contributing to blockages. The improper disposal of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) can result in plumbing clogs and even total blockages in your pipes,” per Zimmerman Plumbing.
Wait, what about baby wipes?
Like grease, baby wipes will also clog up your pipes. Because sink pipes don’t break it down, the wipes will eventually clump together to create a blockage. This can cause serious damage to your pipes and wallet.
So, how should I properly dispose of grease?
Take the kitchen grease or cooking oil, stuff it into a sealable container like takeout Tupperware or a coffee can if you’re 85 years old and still use coffee cans, and put said container in your regular trash bin. It’s recommended that you label the container something like “Not for Recycling.”
@thatplum6guy Another grease video ive found, this ond was eventually cleared. Luckily. Dont put grease down your sink #thatplumbguy #fypシ #grease #plumbers #blockage #howto #sink ♬ original sound – ThatPlumbGuy
The Daily Dot reached out @thatplum6guy via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
*First Published: May 28, 2024, 7:00 pm CDT
Melody Heald
Melody Heald is a culture writer. Her work can be found in Glitter Magazine, BUST Magazine, and more.
