Your Grandma Wasn’t Kidding; Never Pour These Things Down the Drain

There is a reason that your Grandmother told you not to pour certain things down the drain or flush them down the toilet. While it may not cause immediate issues, down the line it could cause damage that comes with a hefty price. Not only could you be causing damage to your plumbing system, you could also be unknowingly contaminating drinking water.

The number one debate that we hear is about grease and fat and pouring it down the drain. Plumbers recommend never doing this, even if you are running hot water down with the grease. Eventually, the hot water will go cold, the water will separate, and the grease will stick to the pipes where this happens. Over time, this could cause buildup, creating a clogged drain, and requiring a professional to come in and fix it.

Something that you may not realize ends up in the drain could cause issues in the future are produce stickers. They sometimes go unnoticed while washing your fruits and veggies and over time the paper and adhesive can build up in your pipes and cause some serious damage. Be sure to remove those stickers before washing your apples mangos.

We mentioned before that there are some things that although they may break down when flushed, they could cause some serious issues with drinking water systems. Even though the commercials say to flush old medication, it’s important to dispose of it in another way. Those medications will break down and could cause corrosion to the pipes. If the pipes leak in any way, all of that medication will get into neighboring drinking water systems. While it may seem uncommon to flush paint, you would be surprised how often it is done. This is another substance that could cause a lot of issues with neighboring drinking water systems.

Any product other than toilet paper that is deemed ‘flushable’, beware of actually flushing it down the toilet. Plumbers have found that kitty litter that boasts to be ‘flushable’ in the title, is actually an ongoing problem with plumbing. It doesn’t break down as much as necessary to keep the pipes clear and can cause serious issues down the line causing unnecessary clogs and headaches.

A few other things that plumbers recommend dumping in the trash instead of flushing are coffee grounds, eggshells, feminine hygiene products, beauty products such as cotton balls, household products and leftover food. If you are worried you may have a serious clog going on, give your local plumber today. It’s better to get the problem fixed now before it becomes a more costly cost.