We’re all guilty of it – not always being aware or diligent about what we end up tossing down the drain. But for the sake of your plumbing (and the environment, of course) there are certain items that you should always pay attention to in order to avoid complete mayhem occurring in your drain. And our water treatment facilities are pretty miraculous when it comes to cleaning and purifying the water that we constantly pollute. But they can only go so far. Some substances and chemicals simply cannot break down, and just end up polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Before you go tossing down that next substance down the drain, double check that it isn’t one of these five things that should NEVER go down the drain.
Coffee Grounds
They’re delicious, but they’re also deceptive and destructive to our drains. Coffee grounds may seem like a harmless item to throw into the sink, but in actual fact, they are a plumber’s worst nightmare. Those tiny little granules don’t just decompose as they make tracks along your plumbing. They can actually become encrusted along those pipes and cause some serious blockages. The next time you’re done with your coffee grinds, throw them into the compost or the garbage.
Grease
Grease is an absolute no for pouring down the sink. If you’ve just fried up a batch of bacon and you’re wondering what to do with all that sizzling, hot grease, pour it into an old empty can or a cup. Once that grease cools, we all know how it solidifies, so pouring it down the drain is one sure way to clog it. Allow the grease to cool down and solidify, then toss it into the waste. The City of Ottawa is actually running an awareness campaign right now recommending that residents store grease in an empty milk carton and then place in the green bin.
Oils
Any oils such as cooking oils and salad dressings are also substances that have the potential of damaging your piping over time. Throw any oily foods directly into the garbage.
Eggshells
Eggshells are just as bad as coffee grinds when it comes to clogging the drain. It’s one sure way to keep plumbers in business. As they break up, they form sand-like particles that allow them to stick to the pipe walls and cause some potential blockages.
Flushable Cat Litter
For cat litter that’s deemed as “flushable” it’s really just a marketing ploy because no cat litter is good for drains or safe to flush into our water system since it’s usually attached to cat feces. And since cat feces can harbour a specific parasite causing the disease toxoplasmosis, it presents danger to marine life since water treatment cannot destroy it.
So take the few extra moments to check what you’re throwing down the drain and dispose of substances properly. Your drain and your environment will thank you!
At Junk Ninja, we want to make a difference in our community and our world. That’s why we practice eco-friendly junk removal and recycle or donate everything we can to local Ottawa non-profits and charities.
