Plumbing Safety: Is it Safe to Dump Coffee Grounds Down the Sink?

There’s nothing like a fresh cup of coffee in the morning to energize you and start your day off on the right note. After making coffee at home, there are a few chores to be done: washing your mug, rinsing out the coffee pot, and disposing of the grounds in your filter. When it is time to perform that last step, think carefully. It is a common misconception that dumping coffee grounds down the garbage disposal will make your drain smell clean and fresh, but in reality, you should never pour coffee grounds down the sink.

Coffee Grounds Cause Clogs

Garbage disposals were created to dispose of food waste, but that doesn’t mean every byproduct of your food and drinks should go down the sink. Most foods will pass through a disposal smoothly, but clumps of coffee grounds will bind together and stick around, clogging your drain. A clogged sink drain will slow down and eventually stop working entirely, preventing you from accomplishing everything that you need to do in the kitchen.

Coffee grounds aren’t the only substance that can cause trouble. You should also refrain from putting grease, oils, eggshells, banana peels and any non-food items into your disposal. When in doubt, the trash can is always the safest option for any potentially drain-clogging substance.

What to Do Next

If you have been pouring coffee grounds into your garbage disposal, you may begin to notice issues with your garbage disposal. If you begin to notice that water is draining more slowly than usual or you hear strange gurgling noises coming from the sink, you should hire a drain cleaning professional from a well-regarded business such as New Canadian Drain & Plumbing to address the problem. Make sure to call someone sooner rather than later, since clogged drains only get worse over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repairs may be.

The trash can isn’t the only place for used coffee grounds. If you have a plant or vegetable garden, you can spread them there, where they will enrich your soil. You can also take a pinch of used coffee grounds and mix them with coconut oil to create a body scrub that will make your skin feel smooth and soft. If you have noticed strong odors in your refrigerator, you can place a small container of coffee grounds in the back, where they will absorb those odors. As long as you do not pour them into your garbage disposal, you will avoid future plumbing issues.