Top 10 Things That Should NOT be Washed Down Your Drain
For most, the concept of plumbing might be described as a magical disappearing act of life’s leftovers by sleight of hand. However, your network of drains and pipes does need help in maintaining its health. Here is a list of items that your plumbing was never designed to handle and should be kept out of your drains.
10. Hair
Some might assume that placing hair down the sink drain or flushing a few strands down a toilet would be no cause for concern. In fact, add water to the hair you just pulled from your brush and you have just created a very effective plug. Even single strands can create a web that clings to pipe effectively trapping particles. This will lead to a guaranteed clog.
9. Coffee grounds
Just because coffee gives most of us the will to live, coffee grounds do not energize your plumbing. They can lie in wait like hard silt in the pipe, especially at the elbows or bends. This can lead to narrowing, clumping, and blockage.
8. Gum
Let’s be clear: Gum is as hard to get rid of stuck to the walls of pipes or drains as it is if it were stuck to the bottom of a shoe. Its stickiness is a magnet for a bigger plumbing problem when floating debris clings to it creating a clog.
7. Grease
Let’s agree to disagree when it comes to oil preference in the kitchen and any personal convictions of health benefits VS risk. For pipes, it doesn’t matter. It is all RISK. Grease is bad in every way for this circulatory system. Just don’t. A pipe heart attack is an expensive plumbing operation.
6. Fish
A toilet fish burial will not end well for either pet Goldie or your plumbing. Plumbing framework in a home is convoluted with bends and angles through wall and floors. These are all very good places for the deceased to get stuck. A blockage may result. However, you’re still not the clear when it clears your pipes. It can go on to cause infestation and/or blockage in a septic or sewer system. If the water or sewage company can track you down as Goldie’s owner, you will be held responsible for the entire bill.
5. Flushable Products
No, they’re not. NOT EVER. These wipes advertised as safe for plumbing are made with synthetic materials like plastics or polyester that won’t break down. They can lead to leaky pipes, clogs, and sewer backups. Through a wider lens, these products are wreaking havoc in municipal sewage systems. across the US. A national dollar estimates puts cleanup at over $400 million being spent annually.
4. Cat Litter
There seems to be a growing list of products claiming they can safely be flushed for your cat’s waste. Whether these litter products are comprised of corn, wheat, tofu, shredded paper, wood shavings most of them absorb water leading to bulking and this can clog your pipes. Some of these litter products have clay in them called bentonites and when they meet water they forms a rock-like substance. Even the pet excrement itself becomes so hard that it can cause blockage. Your best bet is placing your kitty leftovers in a bag, tie it, and place it in your outdoor garbage.
3. Sanitary Products.
Sanitary products are designed to absorb large volumes of fluid and they are not discriminating. When a tampon or sanitary nap is flushed, it goes to work absorbing fluid as it swirls down the pipes. These now swollen products can cause a serious blockage that leads to backflow right back into a home or business. This
is now a health hazard with a big bill attached for repairs and cleanup.
2.Plastic
It seems everyone’s down on plastic and so are pipes. Whether a piece gets flushed or a toy accidentally falls down a sink, plastic doesn’t play nice. It will wedge itself in places the human hand can’t reach and that is most unfortunate. As plastic never breaks down, sleeping on the problem won’t help. Be prepared to shell out some serious dough when the plumber arrives.
1.Pasta/Rice
Both are a garbage disposal no-no. First of all, these items expand when water is added. This is a problem because the diameter of a pipe is fixed and doesn’t accommodate expansion. These starchy food items also turn into a glue-like substance when they breakdown. The end result is a sticky, expanding sludge ball. This is a perfect recipe for clogging.