We’re all guilty of it – we clean off the table and the counter after a meal and use our sinks as a place to dump some of the garbage. Not only is it convenient, but it’s also a pretty good way to put those crumbs and food scraps out of sight and out of mind. Similarly, a lot of us are guilty of using our toilets as a garbage can, flushing tons of items other than toilet paper because again, it’s easy and convenient.
Now fast forward to what happens once these items make their way into your pipes – this can’t be good for our plumbing, right? Absolutely right! Sending things down deep into our pipes when they aren’t meant to be there can take a huge toll on our plumbing systems, so it’s up to all of us to make sure that we’re acting accordingly – starting by never putting these down the drain:
Food Stickers
You know those small stickers that come on your produce – easy to crumple up and flush down the drain, but likely to cause a problem. Regardless of how small they are, these stickers can get stuck in drains, pipes and even on wastewater treatment plant pumps. Not to mention, if they happen to pass through everything without a problem, they then wind up in our water.
Coffee Grounds
If you can’t start your day without coffee, make sure you pay extra attention to this one! Coffee grounds should never be washed down your sink drain or your garbage disposal – did you know that coffee grounds are one of the leading causes of blocked drains next to grease?
Flushable Wipes
Just because they’re advertised as being flushable doesn’t mean your toilet is the best place to dispose of them, Wet wipes aren’t able to break down as easily as toilet paper does, so a lot of times they wind up causing plumbing problems despite their “flushable” characteristics.
Grease and Fats
We know how tempting it is to pour grease and fats down the drain after cooking, but this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make! When enough of it makes its way into your plumbing system, you could wind up with with a “fatberg” – a plumbing problem that can cause major sewer backups.
Now that you know a few items that should never be flushed or sent down your sink drains, we hope you’ll start relying on your garbage can as the primary source of where you get rid of waste. The sooner you drop your habit of using your drains as a garbage disposal, the sooner you’ll start to prevent plumbing problems in your home!
At Barker and Sons Plumbing & Rooter, we know how much of a headache a clogged drain can be, so if the situation rises in your home, contact us at 714.630.8766 for information about our drain cleaning services! We specialize in a process known as hydro jet drain cleaning, so we can blast through any clog in no time.
