Life is hectic, and it can be tempting to take shortcuts to save yourself some time and extra work. But it is also essential to understand that some of these things will eventually cost you a lot of money. Dumping household waste down the sink drain or flushing it away down the toilet can appear to be a great timesaver. But what you need to realize is that at some point, you will be paying for the few seconds you think you saved.
The first cost will be paying a plumber to remove the nasty clog, then paying a contractor to repair the water and contamination damage to your home. And there will be the time that you spend cleaning up the mess from the dirty water or even raw sewage that has backed up into your home. It is easier and cheaper to dispose of some of the following items correctly and avoid all of these nasty issues with your home’s plumbing.
Forbidden Items In The Kitchen Sink Drain
If you have a garbage disposal, you might have gotten pretty confident about rinsing waste down the sink. But it is essential to know that the garbage disposal is only designed to handle small bits of food waste. If you are using a fork or other utensil to cram large pieces of food into the disposal, you will have issues.
There are also a few specific items that are guaranteed to choke even the heartiest of disposals. The list includes coffee grounds, eggshells, bones, hard food waste, and oil or grease. Finally, stringy vegetables like celery will quickly become tangled in your disposal grinder and then in your sink drain. Avoid putting all of these items down your kitchen sink to increase your disposal’s lifespan and eliminate tough kitchen sink clogs in your future.
Forbidden Items In The Bathroom Sink Drain
Just like in the kitchen, it can be tempting to let stray hairs, beard trimmings, and other bits of waste wash away with the water. But all of these items are critical ingredients in drain clogs. And soon, you will discover that your sink is clogged and threatening to overflow onto the floor. Avoid anything but water going down the bathroom sink drain, and you will never need to worry about a backup or flood.
Forbidden Items In The Tub Drain
Loose hair is the number one clogging agent in tub and shower drains. These hairs get caught in the residue and then begin to collect the dirt and debris that wash down the drain. A simple solution to this problem is a small wire or mesh screen that sits in the drain and catches loose hairs before they become a problem. This screen is also a lifesaver if you bathe your furry pets in the tub and are continually battling drain clogs. Invest the few seconds it takes to clean the screen so you can avoid the cost of a plumber.
What Not To Flush
From a young age, we seem to believe that toilets have a magical power to make things disappear. Kids love to flush tiny toys, socks, and even coins to watch them disappear. But what is really happening is those items are becoming lodged in your sewer line and creating a horrendous clog that will flood your home with raw sewage.
Just because you can flush toilet paper does not mean that any other paper should be good to go. Only toilet paper is made to quickly break down in water and not cause a nasty clog. Paper towels, napkins, most moist wipes, diapers, and feminine hygiene products are all going to expand in water and result in a clogged sewer line.
Saving time is excellent. But saving a few seconds today that will need to be repaid in the form of a plumbing bill, water damage repair, and a massive mess in your home is never worth the tradeoff. Take a few seconds to toss items in the trash, and know that you will not be facing a surprise drain clog. And if this message found you too late, call (214) 388-4525 to schedule a professional drain cleaning with the pros at Metroplex Leak & Line.
