Common Household Items that Should Never Go Down Your Drain

This practice should be avoided at all costs since it may wreak havoc on your plumbing system. Getting rid of objects around your home may be tempting by simply pouring them down the sink drain or flushing them down the toilet. The plumbing and sewage system in your home can be seriously damaged by many materials typically present in households. These products can be purchased everywhere, from hardware stores to grocery stores.

You must keep the following four things from your home out of your drains at all times:

Gas, oil

It is illegal in many parts of the country to pour gasoline or motor oil down a drain, which is another reason why doing so is not only a bad idea but also a violation of the law. It is not difficult for these compounds to enter the ground or surface water supplies, where they can contaminate the water used for drinking. The water used for cooking is also susceptible to contamination from these compounds. One gallon of motor oil has the potential to contaminate up to 250,000 gallons of drinkable water, making it unsafe for human consumption. In addition, the gasoline vapors still in the air after the fuel has been poured down the drain can be ignited if they come into contact with a spark. Make sure that these items are placed in a container that the government has approved as being appropriate for hazardous materials, and then bring them to the facility in your community that is designated for the disposal and recycling of hazardous waste.

Lint

If it is not removed, the lint flushed down the drain, and the water from the washing machine can clog the drain for your laundry room after a certain amount of time has passed. The floor can quickly become covered in a layer of water due to an overflowing washer drain, which can significantly damage the floor if allowed to continue. To our great relief, this issue does not require much effort to circumvent. Using a lint catcher, which consists of a metal mesh sleeve placed over the discharge pipe of your washing machine, prevents lint and other particles from traveling down your drain. This is accomplished by placing the sleeve over the pipe. In the long run, one strategy that will save you far more money is putting a nylon stocking on top of the hose. In any scenario, you will need to replace the stocking or the lint catcher once it has gathered enough lint that it can no longer collect anymore. Once it has reached this point, it can no longer gather any more lint.

Paint

It is harmful not only to your plumbing system but also to you and the environment if you pour paint down the drain. Paint that gets into the drain can coat the pipes and cause them to harden, leading to clogs. In addition, it seeps into the ground, contaminating the ground and surface water. Paint can give off fumes that are both hazardous to the environment and flammable. It is always best to donate any paint purchased but not yet used so that others can use it. However, if you have leftover latex paint, you can throw it away after mixing it with an equal amount of kitty litter, letting it set for at least an hour, and then disposing of it. Be sure to take the lid off the can before throwing it away so you can do so separately. You also can use a paint hardener available for purchase; alternatively, if there is only a small amount of paint left, you can let it dry on its own. When it comes time to dispose of oil-based paint, you should always take it to your area’s hazardous waste disposal facility.

Flushable kitty litter

It is not a good idea to flush kitty litter down your toilet, regardless of whether or not the bag indicates that it can be flushed. This is true even if the bag says that it can be flushed. Many plumbing systems are not designed to deal with the additional solids that are found in flushable litter, which can result in a nasty clog. This can be avoided by not flushing the litter down the toilet. Likely, septic systems will only be able to process flushable kitty litter if its consistency is maintained. In addition, it is against the law in many states to flush pet waste because there is a possibility that it contains bacteria and other organisms that are harmful to human health. This is because of the potential for the waste to be flushed down the toilet.