Your drains in your shower, kitchen sink, toilet, or bathroom sink see a lot of use and objects getting washed down them. Keeping your drains from clogging starts with avoiding dangerous objects from going in the drain. Some of these common foods or seemingly “flushable” items may actually lead to major problems in your plumbing system. S&B Plumbing can help with drain cleaning, but it is best practice to keep these things out of your drains.
1- Grease
The most important thing to keep out of your drains is grease. While grease is usually a liquid when you are done cooking, it coagulates and expands which can lead to blockages in your drain. Once the substance hardens it sticks to pipes and over time can latch onto other debris and cause clogs.
2- Fruit Pits And Seeds
While the pits of a peach or seeds from raspberries seem small, dumping them down your drain can lead to a big issue. Pits and seeds are usually not able to be ground up by your garbage disposal so they will remain whole and pile up inside the pipes. While you may not notice the effects of fruit pits being in the drain right away, it could lead to pipe bursts or water backing up in your sink when you run the water.
3- Baby Wipes
Baby wipes or other flushable wipes may say they can be put down your sewer system, but this is not the case. Because they are often used to help clean up bodily waste, people assume that these wipes can be sent down the toilet. Throwing these wipes away will help keep your sewage system in better shape and avoid sewage backup inside your home.
4- Napkins And Paper Towels
All paper products are bad to flush or rinse down your drains, this includes paper towels, napkins, and more. The only paper product that should end up in your drains is toilet paper.
5- Rice And Pasta
Rice and pasta are foods that expand when introduced to water. If these are stuck in your drains, the more water that hits them, the bigger they can get. Most foods with starch are bad to put in your sink drains because they can puff up and block the entire pipe. Scheduling a drain cleaning or using a proper chemical drain cleaner can help remove built-up food inside the pipes.
6- Hair
For bathroom sinks specifically, hair getting into the drain is almost a daily occurrence. Large quantities of hair can build up in your drains and make the water pool back up into the sink. Hair in your shower drain is another common place that will need drain cleaning or the use of a drain snake. You lose thousands of hairs a day, so having a shower strainer or sink strainer to catch the loose hairs can help improve your drain system.
7- Q-tips
These small cotton and plastic cleaners should never be flushed or rinsed down the drain. While they are small, they can get lodged horizontally or diagonally in drains and cause other debris to become stuck instead of traveling out of the pipe.
8- Diapers
Full diapers from babies and toddlers should never be flushed. Even in places with large sewer systems, dirty diapers can clog up the system and lead to costly repairs. Toss the diapers instead of flushing them.
9- Coffee Grounds
Another item that should not be in your drains is coffee grounds. These grounds do not get cut up or broken down by your garbage disposal. They are harsh on pipes and should be thrown out with the trash rather than in the sink.
10- Paint
Paint that is not properly disposed of can cause health hazards for those in your home. Paint being dumped down your drains can cause hazardous gases and cause damage to the insides of the pipes. It could also contaminate your water supply.
11- Medications Or Pills
Similar to paint, medications can contaminate your water supply in the household or surrounding areas. Avoiding health issues is just as important as keeping your drains in good condition. Avoid flushing or draining unused medication. Take them to a proper facility or throw them away if they are not toxic.
12- Fibrous Fruits And Vegetables
Corn husks, celery, asparagus, and other fibrous vegetables and foods can clog up your drain or damage your garbage disposal. Keep extra fibers out of your drains if you want your plumbing to last.
13- Eggshells
Like coffee grounds, eggshells are sharp and are not as easily washed down the drain as homeowners think. They can get stuck in viscous pockets and make it difficult for even just liquids to make it through your pipes. Draining substances through your kitchen or bathroom sink can be difficult then your pipes are not smooth and are blocked by old food particles.
14- Honey
The sticky substance of honey can live inside your pipes for a long time. It not only clings to the pipes, but it will also grab onto other small food particles or hairs, making the clogs grow much quicker. Avoid honey in your drains at all costs.
15- Flour
Flour and water can make a bread dough or sticky paste. It doesn’t take much to realize that flour that is clogged in your pipe can stretch and grow causing a total blockage. Keep the flour out of your drains and able to make bread instead.
Drain Cleaning With S&B Plumbing
Our company strives to give homeowners a better plumbing system and a better quality of life with our services. Drain cleaning can help keep your pipes in good condition and help you find things that need repairs before they become a bigger problem. We hope that homeowners use this blog to know what items to keep out of your drains. S&B Plumbing serves Ogden, Roy, Mountain Green, Perry, and more! Contact us to schedule your drain or sewer cleaning appointment today.