If you’ve just moved into your first home, you may not know how to keep your drains safe. Carelessly putting the wrong items down the toilet or sinks can lead to clogs that will require professional drain cleaning. To help you keep your pipes clean, the guide below shares five items that should never go down your toilet or sinks.

A Guide to Items to Keep out of Your Pipes

1. Floss

You should floss every day, but the used floss should go in the trash, not down the drains or in the toilet. Once it is in the pipes, floss can cling to the walls of the pipes and gather other debris, making clogs more likely. It’s also made from non-biodegradable materials, so it won’t break down.

2. Grease

As it cools, grease congeals, so even if it seems like a liquid that’s fine going down the pipes, it can cause major clogs down the line. In fact, too much grease down the pipes has created fatbergs in some major cities—massive lumps of congealed fat and other debris that cause major problems for waste management. Put grease in a leftover can or bottle and let it cool before tossing it in the trash.

3. Feminine Hygiene Products

Tampons and pads should never go down the toilet because they’re absorbent, capable of holding up to 10 times their size in fluid. They also don’t break down in water, so once they’re in a sewage system, they can gather other waste to create a clog.

4. Paper Towels & Disposable Wipes

Even if disposable wipes are billed as flushable, they should go in the trash, not down the toilet. Unlike toilet paper, disposable wipes and paper towels aren’t made to break down in water. As a result, they’ll clump together with other waste and lead to a difficult jam.

5. Coffee Grounds

Even if you have a garbage disposal, there are still plenty of items that should go in the trash instead of the drain. When coffee grounds are exposed to water, they tend to clump together, so toss them in the trash instead. You can also use them to fertilize houseplants.

 

Even with careful attention to what’s going down your drains, clogs are bound to happen. When they do, contact American Rooter for drain cleaning. Based in Watertown, CT, they’ve been the trusted source for pipe inspections, sewer line repairs, septic cleaning, and plumbing repairs since 1980. To schedule an appointment in Connecticut or Rhode Island, call (860) 274-7338. Learn about all their offerings on their website.