I totally get what you mean about the smell—my friend warned me about that before I moved in.
I’ve only had my place for a few months, but I already notice how fast stuff can build up if I’m not careful.“Some of those in-kitchen units can get pretty ripe if folks aren’t on top of maintenance…”
I’m curious, though—do you think signage or reminders actually help people stick to a cleaning schedule, or is it just wishful thinking? I keep thinking about putting a little calendar on the cabinet door, but maybe that’s too optimistic.
I keep thinking about putting a little calendar on the cabinet door, but maybe that’s too optimistic.
Honestly, I think a calendar or reminder can help, at least for a while. People tend to ignore signs after a bit, but having a visual cue right where the problem starts—like on the cabinet—makes it harder to forget. I’ve seen places where a simple “last cleaned” dry erase board actually kept everyone on track. Not foolproof, but better than nothing.
I’ve seen all kinds of reminders—sticky notes, calendars, even timers stuck to the door. They work for a bit, but yeah, people start tuning them out after a while. In my experience, the real issue is when folks forget to clean out the in-kitchen grease traps and you end up with a backup at the worst time. Underground ones are less “in your face” but also easier to forget about entirely. Do you think folks would be more likely to stay on top of cleaning if the trap’s right there in the kitchen, or does it just become background noise after a while?
Honestly, I totally get what you mean about reminders just fading into the background. I’ve only had an in-kitchen trap for a few months, and at first it was hard to ignore—but now it’s just another thing under the sink. I do think being able to see (and smell) it helps a bit with remembering, but yeah, after a while you kind of stop noticing. I guess the key is building it into your routine, but that’s easier said than done... At least with the in-kitchen ones, you’re more likely to catch a problem early. Underground feels like “out of sight, out of mind,” which makes me nervous.
I hear you on the “out of sight, out of mind” thing with underground traps. That’s actually why I lean toward in-kitchen, even if they’re a bit gross sometimes. At least you notice leaks or clogs before they turn into a nightmare. Underground setups might look cleaner, but unless you’re religious about maintenance, it’s way too easy to forget until there’s a serious backup. For me, being able to check things quickly outweighs the inconvenience.
