People warned against pouring leftover Baileys down the sink

There are certain liquids that should never be poured down the sink, but did you know that Baileys was one of them?

The creamy festive drink is a popular choice at Christmas, and with many of us attempting Dry January, you might have been tempted to chuck any leftovers down the drain.

But if you are getting rid of any festive food and drink still lurking around your home, it's important not to pour the boozy liqueur down the sink.

Southern Water have been warning its customers to be extra careful about what goes down the drain post Christmas, explaining something with a high cream content, such as Baileys, is a huge no-no.

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“Something like Baileys, which has a cream content could add to problems. No one likes a nasty surprise over the festive season and a blocked drain is no different." Alex Saunders, head of Southern Water’s wastewater network, told the Telegraph.

“This is the time of year where we do see an increase in blockages, and so many of these can be easily avoided. Blocked sewers can cause flooding to homes and unclogging them can take a lot of time and effort."

The water network also expressed concern over customers pouring oily sauces, leftover from takeaways, down the drains.

They warned that 250 tonnes of fat can enter sewage systems for every million turkeys cooked over the festive period, too.

It's important to never pour any oily liquid down your drains, due to the risk of 'fatbergs' and blockages.

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Not only can it smell pretty unpleasant, but it can wreak havoc on your drains.

Pouring leftover oil down the sink can cause you problems in the long run, mainly because the liquid can cool and solidify further down in the pipes and drains.

Over time, this solidified fat can build up and lead to a pretty tough blockage.

It can also lead to fatbergs, which is waste from congealed fat, oil, and other non-biodegradable household items such as wet wipes and nappies that have been flushed down the drain.

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Maintain Drains explains: "As these items take longer to break down, they get stuck in the sewer system, blocking the drain pipes. This causes blockage and can even result in the pipes breaking.

"The most common item to cause a fatberg is fat oil and grease. By putting these items down your drain, you can slowly cause a fatberg due to other substances (such as wet wipes) combining with the oil.

"The substances can no longer flow through your drain swiftly and can get caught and stuck in the drain with other non flushable objects. This can result in drain blockages."

Topics: Food and Drink

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot.

@lucedevine