Households urged to pour washing up liquid down kitchen drain

It's a simple and cheap cleaning product that is usually seen in the kitchen sink - but cleaning experts say you can actually benefit from pouring washing up liquid straight down the plughole.

If you find your kitchen sink is draining slowly, has some nasty smells or could even be blocked, plumbing experts say you don't need to reach for expensive or caustic drain cleaners which can actually damage your pipes.

Instead, a humble bottle of vivid green washing up liquid does the job of unblocking and de-greasing slow draining sinks.

Plumbing website Plumbcare explains: "Both kitchen and bathroom drains see a lot of action: food waste, hair, soap, and dirt are washed down every day. These can build up over time (actually, it doesn't take very long at all to build up, if you're not careful about it) and create problems.

"Drains that become blocked can be really bad news: not only could they require the services of a plumber to resolve but they could back up and cause damage to your home.

"Preventing drains from becoming blocked isn't actually very difficult at all. It just requires two things: be careful about what you put down the sink and periodic clearing to keep them flowing and prevent build-up."

"Yes, simple old washing-up liquid. This is a good one for the kitchen sink where there might be fat and grease down the drain. Dish washing detergent contains grease busting ingredients so it's really good at breaking down these fatty deposits in the sink but you need a bigger dose than you would get doing your general washing up. Boil some water and add 2 tablespoons of washing up liquid. Pour this slowly down the sink."

But households should be aware that some big brand washing up liquids are considered potentially harmful to aquatic life. This warning on a leading brand's label says: "Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. Keep out of reach of children."

As such, it's better for the world if you use an environmentally friendly washing up liquid such as a plant based product.

For example SLS-free washing up liquid at Ethical Superstore is described as: "Use our planet friendly washing up liquid for sparkling dishes without the nasty chemicals. "Our favourite eco-conscious brands like Ecover and Method use plant based formulas that cut through grease and grime, leaving your dishes as clean as leading brands without harming the earth. The majority of our dish washing products are suitable for septic tanks and biodegradable."