To flush or not to flush – UPDATED: what belongs in your trash and NOT your sewer. Follow this advice and you won’t need drain cleaning from a professional as often.
1. Unwanted medications. Well, in our drug happy world, the thought of unwanted medication may seem confusing. I mean, we even keep prescriptions past their due dates as our “just in case” pills (as though we can’t get a new prescription at the drop of a hat). When flushed, some of these medications can end up in our waterways. We don’t want to just haphazardly throw them out though either, as we have social concerns about them ending up in the hands of a youngster or dumpster diver. Your best bet? Dispose of them in ashes, old coffee grounds, kitty litter or other like items. It’s kinda like adding a little bit of wood alcohol to rubbing alcohol so we don’t drink it. What can you add to the medications to make them worthless?
2. Grease. We aren’t talking John Travolta here, but we are talking his hair. Grease from meat fat, & cooked foods (even skin & hair products) can build up on the sides of your pipes just like they do on the arteries of your heart. Don’t think that trick of running hot water and turning on your disposal while you dump it down the sink drain helps either. It’s the plumbing equivalent of washing a hamburger down with a beer; it may clear your throat, but the damage comes later down the line.
3. Hair. Ok, so my teenage daughters with their long, straight hair don’t care that their hair daily is being accumulated in and around the sink as they brush it, down the shower drain as they wash and color it. Check your stoppers frequently and clear them out before they form that clog that slips down the pipe and starts growing. I won’t leave out the extra hairy man either. You should do it too, sir.
4. Tampons. Gross, I know, to talk about. Ladies, they say they are flushable, but not in your house! Please wrap all used feminine products in toilet paper and dispose of them in the trash. Done. One of the biggest clog culprits!
5. Chemical drain-cleaning products & bleach. I have pictures of my technicians with facial and arm burns from cleaning a line that a person tried to unclog with a toxic LIQUID sold at grocery & home stores. Would you use acid to dissolve food lodged in someone’s esophagus?! I hope not. Bleach kills critical bacteria that breakdowns your waste and both can cause line corrosion over time as well.
6. “Flushable” Wipes. While hygiene wipes say they are flushable, we find them clogging sewer lines all the time. They don’t break down like toilet paper does. While they are ok for occasional use, they shouldn’t be used on a regular basis.
Drain cleaning, as we perform it, is a safe, natural solution for clearing unwanted matter out of your sewer system. If you ever have questions, please don’t hesitate to call.
Garvin’s Sewer Service, Denver (303) 571-5114
