20 Things You Should Never Dump Down the Drain

When you’re cooking or cleaning around the house, you might have your hands in a bunch and think it’s convenient to dispose of small items or liquids down your kitchen or bathroom drains.

However, did you know the professionals of drain cleaning services in Toronto have seen so many items dumped down the drain that can cause plumbing systems to clog? Let’s take a closer look at the 20 things you should never dump down the drain.

1. Cooking oil

Cooking oils are some of the most common things people dump down a drain because it just seems convenient after you’re done cooking. However, any kind of cooking oil, including salad dressing, sauces, and condiments, can clog drains along with other debris and create sludge.

2. Medication

Any kind of medication like pills, capsules, and cough syrups should never be dumped down a drain. Pills and capsules in particular take a long time to disintegrate and will clog your drain immediately. If you have unused or expired medications that you want to dispose of, throw them away in the garbage or check with your local pharmacy to see if they have a take-back program for unused medications.

3. Toilet paper

Toilet paper has “toilet” in its name for one reason only: it’s meant to be flushed down the toilet. Toilet paper is made out of cellulose, which makes it fall apart when it gets wet. If you toss them down the drain, they won’t break down as fast and will eventually clog your drain.

4. Rice

Rice looks small enough to dump down a drain. However, rice, regardless if it’s cooked or not, should never be dumped in your kitchen drain. Rice swells up when it gets wet due to absorption, and when clumped together, it can clog your kitchen pipes.

5. Motor oil

Any kind of oil for the car that includes transmission fluids and additional chemicals like antifreeze should stay away from your drains and pipes. Similar to cooking oil, dumping motor oil can block your drains. Additionally, both motor oil and antifreeze are flammable, making them even more harmful.

6. Flushable wipes

Any kind of wet wipes are made with congealed grease and can damage water treatment centers and clog up your drains. Always dispose of wipes in the garbage can. If, for some reason, wipes clog up your plumbing system, call professional drain cleaning services in Toronto for assistance.

7. Paint

Since paints contain chemicals, you should dispose of them at hazardous waste facilities in your local area. Never dump them in your drain. If you want to do something good for the planet, opt for eco-friendly paint, which is better for the environment.

8. Fruit peels

Orange, lemon, and lime peels can clog your drains even if they are in tiny pieces. You can place them around your home to create a natural aroma and then throw them away in the garbage.

9. Hair

Hair clogs up plumbing systems quickly because hair is not water-soluble. This is especially so if it has been washed with shampoo and conditioner. This will make it thicker and clumpy, thus making it virtually impossible to go down the drain.

10. Cleaning products

Along with paint and motor oils, cleaning products contain harmful and toxic chemicals. Even though they come in liquid form, you may think it’s fine to empty them down your drain. However, when you do so, these harmful chemicals enter rivers and lakes, and damage the environment. Do the earth a favour and dispose of cleaning products in their packaging and throw them away.

11. Female sanitary products

Pads and tampons should never be disposed of down the drain. Similar to wet wipes, they absorb moisture and expand when dumped in a drain. Additionally, these sanitary products contain bodily fluids that can pollute rivers and lakes.

12. Floss

Placing dental floss down your drain may seem harmless because of its thin string. However, it can form a tiny net and then hold other debris and dirt. Since it isn’t biodegradable, it can also wrap around your septic system and clog your pipes.

13. Condoms

Condoms are made out of latex and will not disappear in water. Similar to female sanitary products, condoms contain bodily fluids that are harmful to the environment. Always throw condoms away in a garbage can to avoid pipe blockage and pollution.

14. Candle wax

Never pour candle wax down the drain, as the heat will quickly cool off and form a solid. Once candle wax hardens in your plumbing system, it can clog your pipes and water will take much longer to drain.

15. Flour

Because flour feels light like powder, you might think that it will slip away quickly down the drain. Flour thickens and hardens inside pipes, though, leading to problems with draining. To avoid calling on the help of drain cleaning services in Toronto, always throw flour away in the garbage.

16. Stickers

No doubt you’ve seen those tiny stickers placed as prices and labels on fruit and vegetable packages. If you peel them off and throw them down the drain, they can stick to the walls of your pipes. Then, other debris and dirt can stick to them and eventually cause clogging problems in your pipes. If you choose to peel them off, dispose of them in the garbage.

17. Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds are the most common items that cause drain blockages because they are hidden in liquid coffee. So, before you wash your mugs in the sink, dump the leftover coffee grounds into the garbage and then rinse.

18. Eggshells

You’d be surprised at how many cracked eggshells are dumped down drains. However, did you know that egg shells can be recycled? Even though egg shells are cracked, you may think they’ll disintegrate into small pieces when seeping through your pipes. Even when cracked, though, they can get stuck in your plumbing system, which may require professional drain cleaning services in Toronto.

19. Bones

Before washing your dishes, be sure to scrape off all the bones into a compost heap or dispose of them in the garbage. Many bone splinters will never get flushed down a kitchen drain.

20. Adhesive bandages

Similar to stickers, adhesive bandages can stick to your pipes and create clogs and blockages. So, once you remove one, throw it straight into the garbage.

Contact Brothers Plumbing for Drain Cleaning in Toronto

As you can see, these 20 items might seem harmless when you dump them down the drain. In the long run, however, they can damage your septic system, and clog your pipes and draining system. So, avoid dumping them down the drain at all costs!

If you would like a free quote for drain cleaning services in Toronto for your home, our professional team at Brothers Plumbing is here to help. Call us at 800-741-8471 or contact us here.