Asking Eric: Joint family birthday party puts burden on one side only
Dear Eric: My son will soon be turning 13, as will my niece. They were born a week apart. I usually host a family pool party for my son's birthday, but my brother and his wife do not arrange a family party for their daughter. (They also have a nice yard with a pool.).
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CNET
19 minutes ago
- CNET
Drain Pain: These 9 Common Household Items Are Sure to Clog Your Drains
As a first-time homeowner, I'm learning things the hard way. I knew summer would test my AC -- although maybe not so soon -- but I clogged drains took my by surprise. With all the hosting and entertaining happening this time of year, your pipes can take a serious beating and pouring certain household items down there will increase the chances of a clog that you can't fix yourself. If you do have a clogged drain, we asked a plumber what to do to get things moving. Spoiler alert: it's not use chemical drain cleaner. In this article, I'll walk you through nine things you should never send swirling down the sink, plus a few tips for unclogging things when they inevitably rebel anyway. Save your pipes. Save your summer. And maybe, just maybe, save yourself from that awkward "I swear this never happens" call to the plumber. 9 household items that will clog your drain Vegetable peels Carrot, potato and other vegetable peels may fit down the drain but that's about the worst place you can put them. That organic refuse will cause backups and clogged drains faster than you can say "compost pile." Speaking of which, a compost pile or organic waste processor is exactly where those materials should go. Here's how to start a compost pile if you're new to the game. Oil and grease Bacon fat shouldn't be poured down the sink, but it can be saved and used in your next recipe. Talisman Oil and grease are two of the most common drain-clogging substances. Large amounts of cooking oil left in the skillet or a mound of leftover bacon fat from breakfast are surefire ways to build up gunk in your kitchen pipes over time. Oil should be fully cooled and placed in a sealed receptacle before being tossed. Pork fat and bacon grease can be used to flavor your next recipe or season a cast-iron skillet. Read more: 8 Ways to Use Leftover Bacon Fat Oil-based foods: Salad dressing, mayo, marinades, chili crisp Try to avoid putting large amounts of mayo or salad dressing down the kitchen drain. MemoriesThe same goes for oily foods including salad dressing, mayonnaise, marinades and more. A small spot of mayonnaise may not cause an issue, but dumping a whole bottle of past-its-prime balsamic dressing or teriyaki marinade could cause problems. Heavily oil-based foods can't be composted and should be tossed in the garbage. Coffee grounds Coffee grounds can be composted but they shouldn't go in the sink. Chris Monroe/CNET If you make a pot of coffee every morning, disposing of the grounds is just part of the routine. Coffee grounds can be composted, but they should not go down the drain. Over time, coffee grounds will build up in the pipes and cause a backup. If you don't have one, consider starting a compost pile to keep food scraps from ending up in the sink and garbage. Use this helpful trick to avoid that compost pile stench in your kitchen. Or add a countertop food scrap processor like the Lomi or Mill Bin if composting isn't in the cards. Flour Extra flour should be composted or thrown away. iStockphoto/Getty Images If you've seen what happens to flour when it mixes with water, you know why it's not a good idea to pour it down the drain. Imagine a dense bread dough trying to make its way through your pipes. Not pretty. If you have leftover flour from a baking project or a recipe, you should compost it or else throw it away. Dirt and soil Fight the urge to flush excess potting soil down the kitchen drain. Justin Tech/CNET I'm admittedly guilty of this one. The kitchen sink seems like the perfect place to transfer an indoor plant from pot to pot, but soil and other dirt types can very easily clog your drain. If you can do it without letting more than a few granules down the sink, you'll probably be OK. If heaps of potting are involved, you'd be wise to take the project outside. Rice and pasta Be it cooked or uncooked, rice does not belong in your pipes. Compost it instead. Brian Bennett/CNET Unless you have a garbage disposal, no food scraps should be going down the drain. Rice and small pasta are especially tricky since they can sneak past your drain guard and end up in pipes they shouldn't be. To stop a starch-based clog before it happens, discard leftover grains and pasta in the compost pile or trash bin if you're not composting. Paper products Paper products, no matter how thin, do not go down the kitchen drain. Angela Lang/CNET There are no paper products that should go down the drain, even those made from thin compostable. Certain kitchen products like plates, bowls and napkins can be composted, but check carefully before adding them to your kitchen pile or smart kitchen bin. Otherwise, they should be tossed. Paint Oil-based paint is about the worst thing you could pour down the kitchen sink. Try mixing it with kitty litter until it dries before disposing of it.I've been guilty of this one, too but it's time to break the habit. Because paint is liquid, it might seem like a candidate for the kitchen sink, but it's not. Paint adheres to pipes, and if it dries, it becomes a serious plumbing problem. One genius hack for disposing of old paint: kitty litter. Mix some litter with the old paint can until it turns solid and toss it in the garbage. Check with your local sanitation service for certified disposal facilities for oil-based paints. How to unclog a drain with household items Is there anything baking soda and vinegar can't do? Angela Lang/CNET If your drain does clog, try a combination of vinegar, baking soda and boiling water. There are many reports from LifeProTips and Lifehacks Reddit threads of this quick fix saving homeowners in a pinch. There are also chemical drain cleaners to help get things moving -- although a plumber we spoke to told us why you should be cautious with chemical drain cleaners. To stop food and solids from getting into the kitchen drain, a $10 sink strainer will save you grief later on. Most important is knowing which foods and household materials to keep out of the kitchen sink and avoid a clogged pipe catastrophe in the first place. FAQ What's the best chemical cleaner I can use for a clogged drain? After rigorous testing, CNET has determined the best overall chemical drain cleaner is Green Gobbler Main Line Opener. For a full list of our tested chemical drain cleaners, you can reference our best list here.
News24
38 minutes ago
- News24
RAF CEO fails in urgent court bid to set aside suspension
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Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mother-in-Law Complains She's 'Out of the Loop' After Couple Announces Pregnancy Without Telling Her They Were Trying
A pregnant woman says her mother-in-law is fuming and feels "so out of the loop" for not realizing the woman was trying for a baby In a post shared to Reddit, the woman writes that her mother-in-law "lost it" after she announced her pregnancy "Safe to say I've been very worried how much worse she will get with her overbearing ways when the baby gets here," she writes in her postOne woman's exciting pregnancy announcement turned into family drama after her mother-in-law complained that she was "left out of the loop." In a post shared to Reddit, the anonymous woman writes that she and her husband told his mom they were pregnant and her reaction was an unexpected "WHATTTT YOU DIDNT TELL ME YOU WERE TRYING and was this planned!? Why didn't I know sooner I feel so out of the loop." She then "lost it even more" after she learned that the woman had told her own family a week prior, saying, "SO IM THE LAST TO KNOW," and "completely making it about her." The mother-in-law escalated the situation even further when she asked if the couple was going to require her to "get vaccinated" before meeting the child. When her son said they would likely wait "a few weeks" following the birth before anyone met the baby, she got even more upset, saying, "SO I DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE MY GRANDCHILD ARE YOU KIDDING," the poster writes. The woman adds that her husband is her mom's only boy and she is "very controlling and overbearing," but that it's "time for her to cut the cord." "Safe to say I've been very worried how much worse she will get with her overbearing ways when the baby gets here," she writes. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Reddit users say the woman has a right to be concerned. Advised one commenter: "You need to have a honest conversation with your partner, agree your boundaries AND consequences for those that don't follow them, stand firm, information diet for MIL and don't share your due date/birth plans/when you go into hospital." Added another: "Call her out and say, 'Way to make this about you.' We're the ones who are pregnant and this is OUR baby." Still others said they could commiserate. "After reading here a while I'm convinced there is an underground MIL/Grandmother book that teaches them scripts to make absolutely everything about them when it comes to engagements, weddings, and especially grandchildren. Thankfully there's this sub & a list of books for countering their guerrilla tactics," added another Reddit commenter. Read the original article on People
