UK households urged to never pour common drink down kitchen sink

UK households urged to never pour common drink down kitchen sink People have been warned it could cause plumbing issues UK households have been warned not to pour certain bottles of alcohol down their kitchen sink. With summer approaching and many people taking time off work, some will be looking to relax with their favourite drink. But if that drink is a cream liqueur, it's worth being careful or risk plumbing issues. Experts at SAGE note: "Cream liqueurs have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years, and you won't just find Baileys on our supermarket shelves. "These creamy alcoholic drinks are flavoured with everything from mango and strawberry to espresso and salted caramel. However, whatever the flavouring, they are all classed as FOG and can wreak havoc on pipes." SAGE notes that FOG stands for fats, oils and grease. Said to be a "plumber's worst nightmare", this category also includes gravy, ice cream, cream, cooking oils, salad dressings, butter and lard. Chucking any of these down your sink risks blocked pipes and fatbergs. This is a large, rock-hard blockage in the sewers, formed from hardened FOGs mixed with other waste. It adds: "In London alone more than 100 tonnes of fat are poured down sinks every day, according to Thames Water, which has to clear more than 100,000 blockages a year – saying that solidified fat is responsible for more than half." Thames Water adds: Even if you block a pipe in your home by mistake, it’s legally your responsibility to fix it. Calling out a plumber to fix it could cost you more than £200." It is also worth noting that even tuna could cause issues. On Friday (June 26), BBC DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles appeared on Morning Live to discuss fatbergs. He urged people to avoid pouring tuna brine or oil down the sink. While brine mainly consists of water and salt, leftover fish oils and bits that go down the drain can accumulate, mix with soap, and lead to serious plumbing blockages or fatbergs. He said: "Don't pour your oils down the sink. I mean, most people know not to pour oils down your sink in the bathroom or in your kitchen now. But actually, most of us will drain a tin of tuna into the sink. With the oil that's in a tin of tuna, or maybe the fat from an air fryer, or coffee grounds, all these things, add to create a block." Instead, Nick advises scraping it into a disposable container. "Like a baked bean tin or anything else that you're throwing, and put them in the bin and get rid of them that way", he said.