4 Things You Should Never Wash Down the Drain

Although your drains are technically used to dispose of waste, this does not mean that you can wash any old thing down them. Some substances and materials can cause damage to your drains, cause them to become blocked and can cause hazards to your health. Below is a guide to 4 things you should never wash down the drain.

Oil, Fat and Grease

The leading cause of blocked drains is oil, fat and grease. While these substances may be liquid when you are cooking, as soon as they enter your drain and begin to cool, they will begin to solidify and stick to the internal surface of the pipe. As other debris enter the drain and become stuck in the congealed fat and grease, they can cause the pipe to eventually narrow until it becomes blocked. You should wait for any oil, fat or grease to solidify in the pan, scrape it into another container and dispose of it in your household garbage bin.

Cat Litter

Cat litter can smell very unpleasant, so your natural reaction may be to dispose of it by flushing it down the toilet. However, while a toilet is designed to deal with human waste, it is not designed for your kitty's waste. The kitty litter will not breakdown once it enters the waste pipe and is likely to cause a blockage. You should wrap the cat litter in a newspaper and dispose of it in an outdoor household waste bin.

Large Wipes and Paper Towels

While large wipes such as baby wipes, face wipes and paper towels make advertise themselves as flushable, this doesn't mean it is a good item to wash them down the toilet. Because of the size of these products, they may become trapped in debris that as has already accumulated in the waste pipe before they fully degrade. This can quickly lead to the pipe becoming completely blocked.

Scraps of Food

Many homeowners believe that because their sink is fitted with a garbage disposal unit, they can safely put scraps of food into their kitchen drain. However, while a garbage disposal unit will chop food into small pieces, these pieces can still become trapped in the drain causing it to become blocked.

If you drains have become blocked, you should call an emergency plumber immediately. A blocked drain can cause damage to your property and could place your health at risk. An emergency plumber will quickly assess the cause of the blockage and clear the drain.