I’m a homes expert, here’s the £300 mistake loads of people make on Pancake Day, and how to avoid it

WE ALL look forward to Shrove Tuesday.

Not only is it an excuse to eat delicious pancakes for dinner, it’s also an incredibly cheap way to feed the family.

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However, an expert has revealed that people regularly make a mistake on pancake day that could cost them up to £300 to fix.

Not that cheap, hey!

Plumbing experts at Rated People are warning homeowners about the damage pouring leftover pancake mix down the drain can do to homes.

After you’ve perfected the ultimate pancake flip, it might be tempting to flush away leftover pancake mix down the kitchen sink – but the flour, oil and grease in the mix can result in clogged or burst pipes that could cost homeowners around £300 to fix.

The experts explain: “Pancake batter contains flour, fat and oil, and that’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to drains, as it can harden quickly in pipes, leading to clogs and burst pipes that can be costly to repair.

“Leaking or fully bursting pipes caused by increased pressure from clogs can cause damage to your property and belongings, meaning repairing the broken pipes can only be part of the repair cost.

“Whether the pipe is plastic or copper, the solution is likely to be to replace the damaged section of pipe.

“Fixing an easily accessible burst water main will cost around £150, but without visible access the job is more difficult and that can set you back around £300 on average. With these hard-to-find leaks, a plumber’s expertise is even more valuable.”

So instead of throwing the dough down the sink – the plumbing experts say there are plenty of alternative solutions…

Freeze leftover dough

Portion control can be tricky, and you can only store homemade dough in the fridge for up to two days. So if you get tired of the second round the next day, you can freeze the dough for up to three months.

Just store it in an airtight container or freezer bag and pop it in your freezer. Make sure you thaw the mixture thoroughly in the fridge before using, and if the mixture separates a little when freezing, don’t worry – just mix it really well before cooking.

Use it for Yorkshire puddings

The pancake mix uses the same recipe as Yorkshire Puddings, so you can use the leftover batter to make a batch of Sunday Roast Yorkies and then just stick them in the freezer until you need to use them.

fakes

If you want to make a take-home version of a traditional fish and chip snack, then save your dough. By adding a piece of cod to your pancake mix and deep frying (or shallow frying), you can use the leftover batter to make a delicious dinner.

Dispose of in the residual waste bin

If your batter didn’t turn out like the recipe promised (we all know that), then wait for it to cool and then tip it into a trash can. However, first check whether your local authority accepts this type of food in the waste.