It can be incredibly easy when you’re in the kitchen or bathroom to let the wrong items such as coffee grounds or gels slip down the sink. Although it may seem harmless at the time, this can lead to plumbing issues, including poorly working drains, leaks, clogged pipes, and damage to plumbing infrastructure.
To prevent unwanted items from going down your sink, it’s important first to know what those items are. Here’s what can and cannot go down the sink in your kitchen and bathroom.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Home Drains
The list of what can go down the sink is vastly shorter than what can’t. Nearly anything you can drink and almost any liquid can go down the sink; however, there are some exceptions.
Whether you’re in a kitchen or a bathroom, what you can’t put down the sink may be slightly different.
Kitchen Sink
In a kitchen, avoid putting the following items down the sink: cooking grease, fats and oils, paints, disinfectants, produce stickers, flour, crushed eggshells, and coffee grounds.
Many of these items should not be put down the sink for similar reasons – they clog pipes and can do a number on your plumbing. Instead of down your sink, throw out these items correctly in the garbage or compost.
The disposal method for grease, fats, and oils is slightly different. If hot, wait until any oil, fat, or grease has cooled down, then transport it to a sealable container. Place the container in a plastic bag (in case it leaks) before placing it in the garbage.
Bathroom Sink
Some everyday bathroom items that shouldn’t go down the sink include remnants of soap, gels, bath bombs, facemasks, hair, hygiene products, and pill or liquid medications.
If these items go down the sink, you risk creating build-up in your pipes and/or clogging problems. To prevent this from happening, these items should be properly disposed of in the garbage. For some things, this is easier said than done.
When it comes to hair and/or any remnants of soap, gels, bath bombs, etc., use a drain catcher in the sink/bathtub. Then, throw anything that gets caught into the garbage.
Contact a Professional for Help With Your Plumbing Issue
Although it’s convenient to rinse items with water before flushing them down the drain, you should dispose of them properly instead.
Should any of these items make their way down your sink and cause damage, call a professional straight away. They will fix your problem and give some advice on how to prevent future plumbing hiccups.
Did something make its way down your sink that shouldn’t have? Is your sink now draining slowly or causing other problems? Contact D. Jason Plumbing today for help! We service Etobicoke, Mississauga, Toronto, and Brampton and work hard to be the solution to your plumbing problems!