Kitchen ruling

Can chia seeds go down the drain?

NO

Chia seeds plus water becomes the sort of sticky little infrastructure project nobody requested.

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Sink or drainNo
!
Garbage disposalCheck first
×
ToiletNo
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Septic systemNo

01

Why the pipe objects

Chia seeds absorb many times their weight in water and form a sticky gel—excellent for pudding, terrible for narrow plumbing.

02

Do this instead

Scoop chia mixtures into compost or a sealed trash container before washing the dish.

03

Already did it?

A trace of chia seeds is unlikely to be an emergency. Do not add grease or more food; if the drain slows or gurgles, stop using it and call a plumber.