7 Things You Should Never Put Down Your DrainsGULFPORT, MS

7 Things You Should Never Put Down Your Drains

Many of us make a habit of putting certain items down the drains. Whether we are cooking or cleaning up around the house, it seems inevitable that some things just make their way into the plumbing. With that, comes damage to your pipes, to your plumbing and even to our waterways. At ASAP Plumbing, we are just one phone call away should you have a plumbing disaster. We also want to be a resource to keep your plumbing healthy. Since it can be tough to know what is safe and what is not, today we give you the top offenders to your household drains.

Grease & Oils

Getting busy in the kitchen, and cooking tasty foods like bacon, you will find yourself tempted to pour that rendered bacon fat right down the drain. Hold on, it is best to pour the liquid fat into a container and let it solidify over time. Once it is hardened you can dispose of it in containers listed on your local EPA website. Keep the same in mind for all cooking oils.

Pasta

Fun fact: the starch in pasta makes it sticky. Even when rinsed for eating, the semolina in kinds of pasta aides them to become sticky and even expand once down the drain. Pasta down the drain can really do amessy number on your plumbing. So remember, pasta is best “down the hatch, not down the drain”.

Medications

Why might someone pour medication down the drain? Over the garbage can, drugs down the drain sometimes seem the wiser idea, especially when there are small children in the house. In fact, the opposite is true. Medications down the drain cause major contamination to our natural waterways. It has been proven that water plants cannot filter out medications as seemingly harmless as over-the-counter ibuprofen. They have been tracked back to contaminating the drinking water in some cities, too.

Chemicals

Along with medications, pouring chemicals down the drain causes damage to our natural water supply as well as the wildlife within it. Chemicals that are overlooked are liquid cosmetics, hair products and even contact lens cleaning supplies.

Egg Shells

We know, who knew? Egg shells are one of the most commonly disposed of food items down a drain. But, they do a lot of damage to your garbage disposal and can clog pipes even after grinding. Instead of putting them down the drain, they are great for your garden or compost bin!

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds are by definition a bear to dissolve. This is why we use filters. Like eggshells, coffee grounds are perfect for your gardening efforts or compost bin. But keep them as far away as you can from your drain. They do not dissolve, will build up, combine with other residue and clog those pipes.

Rice

All grains and types of rice are enemies of your household drains. Just like when you cook rice and it expands, the same happens to it when inside your drain. With that, rice will clog your drains and even cause them to back up.

If your plumbing needs to be repaired after putting any of these items down your drains, make sure you contact ASAP Plumbing today at 228-865-2727 or visit www.plumbinggulfportms.com and request a free estimate! We can handle all your plumbing needs including installation, repair and full water heater replacement.