Things You Should Never Put Down The Drain

You're working in the kitchen and have some food garbage you want to dispose of...it's ok, right? Well, maybe not. There are some items that will affect your drain and pipes and possibly become a costly mistake. Check these out and see if you've been doing any of them.

flour

Flour congeals when you run it down the drain with water, then it hardens. This can clog the drain, lock up your disposal, or clog pipes, which can be an expensive mistake. Keep yourself from this costly issue by just throwing in the trash.

coffee grounds

You'd think coffee grounds would be ok to run down the drain, however, over time it builds up and eventually can block pipes. You can throw them in the trash but did you know they are great for composting and you're garden?

personal care products

This should be a no-brainer, IMO. But you'd actually be surprised how many women think it's ok to flush pads and tampons! For me, it was obviously a no-no but so many of my friends were doing it. The way I found out is that there'd been a discussion at work because one of the ladies had to have her drains cleaned because it backed up. The culprit was personal female pads. Think about it this way, they are meant to absorb and expand and hold all of the fluid. If they are expanding (especially the tampons to fit the body cavity) what do you think it's doing to pipes???? Please don't let this costly mistake happen to you. The only paper you should be flushing is toilet paper. It is the only paper made to dissolve.

paint

Paint may be a liquid of sorts but it should never be poured down the drain. It is a contaminate to the environment and again, could clog your drain. My town has days you can drop off old paint for free. Check to see if your has this.

food

There are a lot of foods ok to run down the drain but there are also a lot that expand and will harm your pipes in doing so. Pasta and rice should never go down the drain.

cleaners

Just like paint, many cleaners are harmful to the environment due to the phosphates and other compounds.

condoms

Condoms are like the plastic soda can holders that need to be cut so it doesn't get around necks and strangle. Marine life could ingest and choke. They are also made of latex so they won't disintegrate or dissolve.

flushable products

There are products that claim to be flushable but still should not be flushed as they do not dissolve nor break down. These items can still clog drains. Especially cat litter because it is made to absorb.

medication

Medication should not be run down the drain as it will be leaked into drinking water and is harmful to the environment.  There are places that take old medications so check within your city.

grease

To me, this is another obvious one. I am honestly shocked how many people run grease down their sink drains.  This may take time, but eventually this will clog a drain from sticking to pipes and building up.

I hope this list helps you. If I have missed anything, be sure to comment and let me know.