Is It Ever Okay To Pour Flour Down The Drain?

It can be easy to wash a few things down the drain when cleaning or washing the dishes, but it's essential to be mindful of what you're letting slip. For example, we all know not to pour grease down the drain or the pipes will get clogged, yet surprisingly, flour is another thing you shouldn't let your sink wash away. Along with oil, eggshells, and coffee grounds – flour is better off thrown in the trash.

Because flour thickens when it's mixed with water, if you pour it down the drain it will stick to the inside of the pipes and cause a blockage. Even if you throw dry flour in the sink, when you rinse it away with water, it can still form into a clumpy mess that will get stuck. In addition, flour can clog your garbage disposal, preventing it from spinning and damaging the motor. Moreover, most of these issues will likely require costly professional repairs.

While a small amount of flour dust down the drain won't cause huge issues, it's still important to be diligent — even occasionally throwing a few spoonfuls of flour down the drain can build up over time. We all that know having multiple bowls to wash can be bothersome when you're cooking or baking. And, while your first instinct might be to put the bowls and utensils straight in the sink to wash them, be sure to take a dry napkin and brush off any flour residue into the trash can.

Alternatively, if you can't get rid of all the flour, you can add a little bit of water to create a paste and then use a spatula to scrape it into the bin. As long as you're throwing away more flour than you're letting your sink eat up, your pipes will stay clean — and you won't have to call your plumber.

If you have too much leftover flour you don't have to throw it away, there are several beneficial ways to use it around your home. For example, place all your leftover flour in a storage container and use it as a pre-mix for pancakes or waffles, or keep it ready to use when you're craving something sweet.

A non-food related way to use leftover flour is by utilizing it to make your stainless steel appliances shine. For example, after you finish cleaning your fridge doors, let them dry, add a teaspoon of flour to a dry washcloth, and rub it over the doors. The flour will work to buff and polish the surface, so your fridge doors will shine and look brand new — you can use the flour on other stainless steel appliances, such as cooking pans, stoves, and microwaves. Another useful hack is, if you start to notice ants popping up around the home, they don't like flour, so you can create a flour line in the area they're coming from to get rid of them.