Latest news with #kitchenhygiene
CNET
28-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Clog-Bait: 9 Household Items You Should Never Pour Down the Drain
There are obvious drain cloggers that most of us know to avoid disposing of in the kitchen or bathroom sink, and then there are the sneakier culprits that build up slowly or dry in the pipes to cause a clogged-up mess. No matter which variety of drain clogger you succumb to, it'll result in an annoying task for you, or worse, an expensive call to a plumber. CNET Having worked in kitchens and as the proud new owner of a home, I've learned the hard way what not to pour down a drain. Here are 9 common household items you should never pour down the drain and some tips on what to do if the sink water starts backing up. 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 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. FAQs
CNET
07-05-2025
- Health
- CNET
Tired of Fruit Flies Taking Over Your Kitchen? Try These Hacks
Summer is finally here, and while the extra sunshine is great for getting outside, it also means pests are coming out to play. One of the worst? Fruit flies. They show up fast, hang around your food and drinks and seem impossible to get rid of once they're in your home. The good news is you can stop an infestation before it starts, but you'll need the right strategy. Luckily, one expert has a simple trick that actually works. To get an insider's take on fruit fly prevention, we tapped entomologist Jody Green from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Green revealed the leading causes of fruit fly infestations and, most importantly, how to keep these tiny, annoying pests from lingering in your kitchen. Below, you'll find intel and expert tips to help prevent kitchen fruit fly infestations -- or get rid of them if they've already arrived. Read more: Best Bug Sprays What is the main source of fruit fly infestations? Ripe produce and sugary foods are magnets for fruit flies. Helin Loik-Tomson/Getty Images The common name that entomologists give fruit flies is "vinegar flies." That's because they're naturally attracted to fermented liquid, and when fruit rots, it also ferments. But fruit flies don't thrive only on rotten fruit or vinegar. They also love sugary substances like soda, wine and beer, and you can find them in the bottom of your trash bin or any wet place with a substantial food source. "Substantial food source" may mean something different to you than to the small but mighty fruit fly, Green said. "It may not be the food you are wanting to eat, but fruit flies are so tiny it only takes a tiny microhabitat" -- like the residual soda in a can in your recycling bin or leftover bits and crumbs in a takeout container in your garbage, Green explained. Those are prime spots for fruit flies to breed. Once the weather warms, it takes less time for fruit fly eggs to turn into babies. Read more: Keep Bugs Out of Your Kitchen With These Common Houseplants Fruit fly infestation prevention tips Take the garbage out as often as possible during warmer months. Taylor Martin/CNET Cleaning is the key to preventing fruit flies from taking over your kitchen. Keeping your place as dry and free of food as possible prevents pests from continuing their life cycle. Throw away garbage and take out recycling frequently. Clean out the bottom of bins when liquid accumulates, wipe down counters after you're finished cooking, and keep your sink and garbage disposal free of old food, empty of dishes and as dry as possible. Read more: This Magic Kitchen Bin Turns Chicken Bones and Food Scraps Into Dirt Overnight Storing fruits and vegetables in the fridge instead of on the counter will also make it harder for the fruit flies to find them. And since they're attracted to rotting fruit, you should carefully pick your produce at the store to make sure you aren't bringing any rotten or bruised pieces home, Green said. It's especially important to store foods that ferment quickly. Fruit flies thrive on the rot produced by cabbages, strawberries, bananas and other fruits and vegetables that can often break down before you notice them aging out of edibility. Sugary substances should also be stowed away, cups should be lidded or washed out and trash bags should be regularly switched out to prevent fruit fly infestations. She also added that you should recycle or compost cardboard boxes that hold produce as soon as possible because fruit flies could be breeding in them. Any place that catches water or is moist, like a wet kitchen rag or the rug beside the sink, could become a breeding ground for fruit flies. Apart from consulting our experts, we also did some digging on the r/CleaningTips subreddit to see what other people experience. Some users found their issue wasn't fruit flies but fungus gnats. It's worth confirming the infestation by identifying the insect. Many users also noted that an ACV and dish soap trap caught a lot of the flies and helped fight their infestations. What do fruit flies look like? Once fruit flies descend on your kitchen, it's tough to get them to flies are about an eighth of an inch long, have red eyes (though some species have darker eyes) and are light brown with dark rings around their abdomen. They also have two wings (many insects have four). For more home tips, here are the best air purifiers for clean air and the best cordless vacuums. Fruit Fly FAQs Can I get fruit flies without leaving out fruit? Yes, you can get fruit flies even if you don't leave fruits and vegetables outside of the fridge. Though fruit flies are attracted to fermented fruits and vegetables, they also love sugary substances. The flies will similarly swarm wine, beer, soda and other sugary liquids if you leave cups of them around the house. How clean do I need to be to avoid a fruit fly infestation? Fruit flies are able to subsist off very small amounts of food or drink -- the scraps of a takeout box or the soda left at the bottom of a can, for instance. You'll want to make sure you wash out any container before placing it in the trash can or recycling bin, especially in warmer months when fruit flies are breeding at a rapid pace.
