Is it a good idea to pour leftover oily ramen soup base down the drain?

Question

I eat a lot of instant ramen, and some of the packages will come with an oil flavoring packet. When I'm done with the ramen, I don't drink the MSG soup base. I'm wondering if it's a good idea to pour this soup base into the kitchen drain, because 1) it has a certain amount of oil/fat in it which can solidify, and 2) it has the leftover MSG flavor grains in it, which is like sand and doesn't dissolve.

However, most of the soup base is still comprised of water.

Will my kitchen drain eventually clog up if I constantly poured leftover ramen soup base into it? And if it will, can somebody offer me suggestions as to how to properly dispose of it?

Answer 1

don't buy the packaged foods with MSG in them if you just want to pour the soup down the drain. Remember that MSG gets into the noodles and other foods in the package too and you already ate them.



buy plain noodles and some chicken broth in the boxes and use that to make your noodle stuff. Much less salt and NO MSG. Stash the left over broth in fridge in canning jar or freeze it in ice cube trays for longer shelf life. When using ice trays, remove from tray when frozen and stash in ziploc bags. 1 cube is 1/4 cup.

Answer 2

If you're that worried about it, don't use the oil packet at all, since it is more for flavoring than anything else. And just because you aren't drinking the broth doesn't mean that you aren't also getting MSG with your noodles. Better to buy brands that don't use MSG if you're worried about it and to not use the packets at all.

Answer 3

Never, EVER, pour oil or fat down the drain.

Oil can be poured into a sandwich bad, tied up and thrown in the bin.

Fat can be poured into a bowl and placed in the fridge...the next day, when it has set, scrape the contents into the bin.



lf you've ever watched a programme about sewers you will know that the major cause of blocked drains is oil, fat, wet wipes, sanitary towels and disposable nappies.

Answer 4

the flushing action of the 99% water will continually push sediment along. Not to mention the act of turning on the faucet when you rinse the bowl (assuming you do dishes).



You will never have enough sediment/fat to clog your drain. If you are really worried you can pour it into the toilet as that has more force and is flushed regularly.

Answer 5

If you run the tap with hot water when you rinse out your bowl then the water will flush it down the drain and pass the bend

Chetak

Answer 6

Maybe not ...



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/06/fatberg-london_n_3712581.html

Answer 7

You should toss some paper towel into the trash and toss it out. You can also mix a bit of dish soap in with your oil, too.

Answer 8

As a former plumber I strongly advise against pouring any fats down the drain; you will have a clog eventually. Running hot water only serves to move the fats further into the drain, causing the clog to form further out of reach. Water cools as it flows through the drainpipe; so does the fat.

Answer 9

Do you have your own septic tank and drain field? This is more common in the country, and some suburbs. If so, I wouldn't pour a lot of anything down the sink. If you have a small bit left over - like a few tablespoons - it won't hurt. I'd add a little dish soap with it to keep the oil dispersed, and flush it with plenty of warm water. Then have the septic tank pumped periodically, like every 5 years or so. More often if there's a lot of people living in the house, less often if there's just 1-2 people.



If you're in the city, or on a municipal sewer system, you don't have to worry about having the tank pumped, of course. I'd still flush it with plenty of warm water, and add a few drops of dish soap.