The drains in our homes are serious workhorses of convenience. It’s easy to overlook how much easier they make our lives until something goes wrong and your drain stops working as it should.
Thankfully, there are things every homeowner can do to ensure that their drain has the best chance of staying in the best condition and draining things quickly and efficiently. One of the most important things to be aware of when it comes to drain health is what is and isn’t okay to put down your drain.
To help our customers, Vern’s Plumbing has put together this list so you can be more knowledgeable about your home’s plumbing and help keep it working at optimal efficiency.
Five Things You Should Never Put Down The Drain
Even if you have a garbage disposal, answering the question of “What’s safe to put down the drain?” is fairly simple. If it doesn’t come out of your body and/or isn’t water-based, it’s probably not safe.
Most of the things that are very harmful to your drain have one thing in common: they aren’t water-soluble. Most foods will break up in the water — however, there are several things associated with the kitchen that we should avoid washing down the drain. Some of these things are listed below.
Cooking Oil
Cooking oil is one of the most problematic things you can wash down your drain. Oils tend to mix with other debris and give it something to cling to. It acts as the “glue” that holds clogs together.
Coffee Grounds
Used in some form by most Americans nearly every day, coffee grounds can quickly accumulate in pipes and cause problematic clogs. Coffee grounds have a sand-like consistency, settling at the bottom of your pipes and causing all kinds of trouble.
Egg Shells
Similar to coffee grounds, egg shells never truly dissolve and can heavily contribute to clogs. Even when ground up by the garbage disposal, the powdery, sand-like consistency can be problematic in the pipes carrying your kitchen waste away.
Pasta/Rice/Flour
Carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta, rice and flour are good at absorbing water. These things can become caught in your drains and form a playdough-like substance that can cause serious clogs inside your drain.
Butter/Margarine
Similar to cooking oil, water and butter don’t mesh — meaning that they tend to stay separated from water, even when thoroughly mixed. Alongside oil, butter and margarine can help bind to other debris and create clogs.
Clog-Avoiding Tips
There are a few simple steps every homeowner can take to prevent these problematic substances from clogging your drain. A few of these steps include:
- Using a strainer when working with coffee grounds or eggshells.
- Having a specific container, like an old pickle jar, to store used oils. (Be sure to allow all oils to cool before transferring to anything made out of glass to avoid dangerous shattering)
- Regularly make sure to flush your drains with boiling water and/or some sort of declogging agent. Effective drain cleaners can be made from simple household items!
Vern’s Is The Best Choice For Drain Cleaning In Culpeper
If you are on the lookout for the best professional solution for tough clog removal, then Vern’s Plumbing is one of the best choices you can make. We treat all of our customers like family and are confident that you’ll be satisfied when you choose us for all of your plumbing needs. If you need any type of plumbing service, commercial or residential, don’t hesitate to call us today!
