The Real Reason You Should Never Put Flour Down The Drain

Some items just don't belong in your kitchen sink drain. While you might think it's an easy way to dispose of food products like flour in the moment, this decision will most likely come back to haunt you through plumbing problems. As one of the kitchen staples that often does end up in your drain, rather than in the trash can, flour can really stop up the pipes. When combined with water, the flour coagulates and sticks along the sides of the pipes where it can catch other particles.

Apart from the paste sticking and catching other items that come down the pipes, the tacky flour and water mixture can also cause your drain's disposal to get completely stuck. That's why doughs shouldn't go down the drain either. Flour can wreak so much havoc on your drain and disposal that it's even best to brush any loose flour from bowls, beaters, or measuring cups into the trash before rinsing them in the sink (via Real Simple). Who knew?

We completely understand that you don't want flour blowing everywhere in your kitchen — since this is what happens by dumping it in the trash can. But, there are easy ways to dispose of your flour instead. One of the easiest is to add a bit of water to any leftover, or loose flour. Then, mix it together to form a bit of a paste and scrape it up to put it in the trash. This will keep all of those loose particles together.

If you have enough leftover flour and do not want it to go to waste just yet, there are other ways to put it to use. For example, you can use it as an all-natural, organic insect repellent in your garden or around your home. Simply sprinkle a line of flour anywhere that ants might be entering your home or around plants that bugs might be eating away at in your garden. The pests won't set foot over the flour (via Simple Most). Flour makes an easy cleaner for a deck of cards when sealed in plastic bag, or add honey and apply to a pimple for overnight relief.

So, save yourself the headache of a plumbing issue and put your leftover flour to good use around the house.