"Apparently, hot water might temporarily liquefy grease enough to move it further down your pipes, but as soon as it cools again (which it inevitably does), you're just shifting the blockage deeper into your plumbing system."
Yeah, learned this the hard way myself. Thought I was being clever with hot water until the plumber showed me the greasy buildup further down the line—lesson learned. On a side note, anyone had trouble with eggshells? Heard mixed things about them sharpening disposal blades vs. causing clogs...still not sure who's right.
Eggshells sharpening disposal blades is one of those plumbing myths that just won't die. Disposals don't even have sharp blades—they've got blunt impellers that grind stuff up, so eggshells aren't really helping there. Actually, I've seen firsthand how eggshell fragments can mix with grease and other gunk to form a pretty stubborn clog deeper down the line. Had a customer once who swore by tossing eggshells down the drain regularly, thinking it was beneficial. Ended up pulling out this gritty, compacted mess that looked almost like concrete—definitely not fun.
If your pipes could talk back, they'd probably beg you to skip the eggshells and grease altogether...maybe stick to composting or trashing those shells instead.
"Ended up pulling out this gritty, compacted mess that looked almost like concrete—definitely not fun."
Yep, been there myself. Had tenants who swore by the eggshell myth too, and I gotta say, pulling that gunk out was one of the nastier plumbing jobs I've tackled. People underestimate how quickly that stuff can build up, especially if they're also rinsing grease or oils down there. It's like a recipe for disaster—literally.
Honestly, if my pipes could talk, they'd probably have some choice words about coffee grounds too. Had a tenant who thought coffee grounds helped "clean" the drain (another stubborn myth), and let me tell you... that sludge was a nightmare to clear. Nowadays I just tell everyone straight-up: compost or bin your kitchen scraps. Saves you headaches—and plumber bills—in the long run.
Reading this reminds me of the time my brother-in-law insisted rice was safe to rinse down the sink because "it's tiny and harmless." Yeah, harmless until it swells up and turns into a gluey blockage... Pipes definitely wouldn't hold back if they could talk. Wonder what other common kitchen habits people assume are fine but secretly drive plumbers crazy?
My dad used to swear coffee grounds were fine down the drain because "they're basically dirt." Yeah, until they compacted into a solid brick in the trap and we spent half a Saturday dismantling pipes. Your brother-in-law's rice logic sounds pretty familiar... People underestimate how quickly harmless stuff turns into plumbing nightmares. If pipes could talk, they'd probably have some choice words for all of us.