This question has caused a lot of debates over the years. Tales from grandmothers say that coffee grounds help neutralize odors in the kitchen sink because of the pleasant scents. Others say putting coffee grounds in the kitchen sink is a no-brainer.
So, can you put coffee grounds down the sink?
Coffee grounds should not be put down in the sink to avoid forming a clog that will prevent the free flow of water and other waste products in the sink. Coffee grounds clump together in water rather than disintegrate, therefore, should not be put down the sink.
What are Coffee Grounds?
Coffee grounds are the by-products of the brewing process. They are the result of brewing coffee and are the final product after the preparation of coffee.
They have the appearance of small grains, beans, or needles that remain when you are done making your cup of coffee.
Can You Put Coffee Ground Down the Sink?
A lot of people brew their coffee and prefer to put the coffee grounds down the sink instead of putting them in the kitchen waste.
Note that coffee grounds are dangerous to the working of your sink. Apart from grease, blockages and clogs in sinks are caused mostly by coffee grounds. The reason is that coffee grounds naturally, clump together in water and create a clog.
Before grinding, coffee grains are very hard. The coffee grounds are hard as well. The garbage disposal cannot grind those grounds further.
Therefore, when the coffee grounds are put into the sink, clumping occurs, the drain gets packed and a clog is formed.
Is it Safe to Wash Coffee Ground Down the Sink?
No, it is not safe to wash coffee grounds down the sink. As already stated, the clumps formed by coffee grounds in water prevent free drainage.
Coffee grounds do not dissolve, unlike most foods. They do not melt or disintegrate in water. It clumps together in the sink thereby preventing the drains from working effectively.
Some people say they have washed down coffee grounds in the sink a lot of times and they have never experienced a clogged drain. It’s only a matter of time.
These grounds will find themselves in the sink gradually and clog together, thereby causing a clog in the system. I do not blame people who wash coffee grounds down the sink, sometimes it is a lack of knowledge.
Also, it could be the simplest and easiest way to dispose of the coffee grounds.
How to Prevent Coffee Grounds from Going Down the Drain
To prevent coffee grounds from going down the drain, make sure the Brewing Chamber is turned upside down on the sieve.
This is to allow the coffee grounds and water to run down the drain and it will prevent the coffee grounds from going down the drain.
Also, coffee grounds can be prevented from going down the drain in these ways:
- Avoid putting coffee grounds in the sink and just throw them in the kitchen trash bin.
- Coffee grounds are known to absorb irritating odors so they perform odor neutralizing. It can be placed in a place with really nasty odors to eliminate it. That is to say that coffee grounds can be used to make your room smell good without an air freshener.
- There is high mineral content in coffee grounds, hence it can be used as fertilizers.
- Due to the nature of high nitrogen content in coffee grounds, they can be added to compost. Plants love nitrogen to aid their growth.
- They can be used as insect repellents. Burned coffee grounds repel mosquitoes, the smoke from the grounds works wonders.
- Skin Exfoliation: Owing to the fact that coffee grounds do not dissolve in water, they are good at scrubbing off dead cells on the skin.
- Natural Cleansing scrub: Coffee grounds can be mixed with other liquids like sugar and juice to consistency to provide a natural means of cleansing the skin.
- There are a lot of videos and articles out there that show how coffee grounds can be used to produce cleansing scrubs. You can watch them and make good use of them.
How to Dispose of Coffee Grounds from French Press (Cafetiere)
A cafetiere is also known as a French press. It is a coffee brewing tool; it consists of a plunger made of fine mesh in which the coffee grounds are pushed to the bottom when the coffee is ready to be poured.
A French press is a manual brewing device, which employs the use of pressure to force coffee down the bottom of a pot after brewing.
Users of French Presses are familiar with the difficulty involved in cleaning this device. It is important to dispose of coffee grounds carefully and appropriately after brewing.
Certain steps should be taken to dispose of used coffee grounds from French Press:
- The Plunger should be pushed out
- Leftover coffee should be poured out
- The Plunger should be pulled out
- Pack all of the coffee grounds from the glass
- Trash the Grounds
- Carefully, wash the Carafe.
How to Fix Clogged Drains from Coffee Grounds
Drain clogging is caused by a number of things; putting coffee grounds in the sink is one of them. A number of steps can be taken to unclog the drain:
1. Manually Clear the Drain
The drain is beneath the sink. If the coffee grounds clogging the sink are visible, a pair of tongs and pliers will do the job.
Insert the tong into the sink to pull out the grounds completely. This should be repeated until every piece of coffee grounds in the sink is brought out.
2. Use a Plunger
A plunger uses pressure to pull out items in the kitchen sink. So, it is a valuable tool for unclogging drains.
3. Baking Soda and Vinegar
This is a natural remedy for unclogging drains. Pour some baking soda into the sink and pour some vinegar into the sink as well.
A fizzing mixture will form, this mixture will dissolve any particle inside the drain. Pour hot water into the drain after 20 minutes to wash the sink completely.
Final Thought
No. Coffee grounds should not be put in the sink. They bond together, form a clump in water instead of disintegrating. Putting them in the sink will form a large solid waste or a ball in the long run and it will cause blockage in the sink. There are a lot of useful ways to dispose of coffee grounds other than putting them in the sink.
