Kitchen plumbing hacks that’ll boost functionality

As the heart of the home, the kitchen is an area where homeowners spend a lot of time. Whether it’s to prepare and cook meals, eat breakfast, socialise, or do the dishes, you’ll want your kitchen to be as functional as possible. Especially when it comes to your plumbing.

So, what are some kitchen plumbing hacks that’ll boost the functionality of your space?

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Improve your butler’s pantry

One trend that has seen a steady increase in popularity is the butler’s pantry. Just imagine how fantastic it would be to have a separate space to prepare your meals and stash dirty dishes so your guests don’t have to see all your cooking mess! What makes this space even better is the addition of a sink. With a sink, you can properly clean your veggies and wash your dishes.

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Better still add a dishwasher because let’s face it doing the dishes by hand is never fun! To achieve the plumbing in your butler’s pantry, consider using a product by Saniflo Australia. Saniflo’s grey water pumps make installing plumbing anywhere in the home possible and cost-effective, all without the need to break your floor. Once your butler’s pantry is fully equipped with plumbing, you’ll never want to prepare food anywhere else.

Clean your dishwasher (so it’ll clean your dishes better!)

As wonderful as dishwashers are, there comes a time in their life when they just don’t clean your dishes as well as they used to. Soap scum, food particles and bacteria build up in our dishwashers and they need to be periodically cleaned so you once again have sparkling crockery and cutlery every wash.

It’s recommended that you clean your dishwasher once a month to keep it operating as it should. To easily clean your dishwasher, start with clearing the drain, which is accessed by removing the bottom rack. Chances are, food scraps will have become caught in the drain, so you’ll need to remove any gunk to improve functionality. Next, place a cup of white vinegar in the upper rack and put your dishwasher on a hot-water rinse cycle. This will keep your dishwasher grease free. Finally, for that extra sparkle, sprinkle one cup of baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher then put it on a quick rinse cycle. Your dishwasher will be shiny, odour free and cleaning as good as new!

Add a pot filler faucet

A pot filler faucet is a game-changing kitchen addition. So much so, you might wonder how you lived without one in the first place. With a pot filler faucet, you’ll no longer need to carry a heavy saucepan from the sink to the stove, struggle to fit a vase in the sink and under the faucet or carry your kettle or coffee machine to the kitchen sink. A pot filler faucet easily solves all of these problems! When researching your options, be sure to select a pot filler that’s retractable, so it can easily lie flat against the wall, as well as being able to swing from side to side to fill nearby appliances and pots.

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Clear a blocked sink

Sinks inevitably block, it’s just what happens when we use them. No matter how careful we are, food and other materials get caught in the sink. You can buy a range of drain cleaners from the store, or call a plumber, however, not everyone likes to use harsh chemicals in their home.

One easy at-home remedy to clear a blocked drain is to use vinegar and baking soda, just like with your dishwasher. For your blocked kitchen sink, pour boiling water down the drain, then pour half a cup of baking soda and let it sit for about three minutes. Next, add a mixture of one cup vinegar and one cup almost-boiling water and cover your drain with a plug so the bubbly reaction occurs in the drain where it’s supposed to. Once this has sat undisturbed for about ten minutes, pour some more boiling water down the drain to clear.

Install a fridge with filtered water

A fridge with filtered water is one of the best plumbing hacks. With this nifty fridge, you don’t need to worry about having a jug of filtered water in your fridge taking up precious shelf-space. Instead, your fridge door will dispense cold, filtered water and ice ready for you to consume or serve to guests.

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For more ways to up the functionality of your kitchen check out these 20 decluttering tips and six practical must-haves for your next kitchen reno.