Your home’s shower and sink drains and toilets help carry away leftover water, food particles, and waste. However, these systems do have a limit to what they can handle transporting. When they get used as a general disposal method, a plumber often has to be called to deal with the resulting clog or backup. To avoid this issue, do not flush the following. 

5 Items That Shouldn’t Go Down the Drain

1. Coffee Grounds

While you should clean out your coffee pot regularly, don’t let grounds go down the drain. They don’t break down quickly enough to let water and other waste products pass by. Throw them away or consider using them as compost.

2. Cotton Balls

Used to clean up messes or apply makeup, cotton balls are small but absorbent, meaning they could swell up and potentially create a blockage in your pipes. Place them in the trash instead.

3. Cleaning Wipes 

Though some wipes may be labeled “flushable,” plumbers often have a problem with this advertising—because the material either doesn’t break down as it is supposed to or doesn’t disintegrate until it has already caused a problem. In particular, wipes often congregate around the turns in plumbing, creating a blockage at joints, or they make it to the fan inside the septic system pump, halting its motion. This can lead to system malfunctions.

4. Cat Litter 

Don’t put your feline friend’s litter down the toilet or any other drain. Even litter labeled “flushable” is thick and absorbent enough to clog older pipes. Additionally, your cat’s waste may contain the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which could then leach into the water system. Bag it and trash it instead.

5. Cooking Oil

It’s easy to assume that liquids are safe to go down the drain. However, greases solidify as they cool down, causing plumbing blockages. Furthermore, the thick, sticky nature of cooking oil traps food waste that follows it down the drain. This also goes for oily condiments like mayonnaise and some salad dressings. Let hot grease cool and solidify, wipe it off plates or pans with a paper towel, and then throw it away.

When you need a plumber to tackle a clogged drain, choose Wild West Plumbing, Heating & Drain Service in Kalispell, MT. With a service area covering Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Bigfork, and Lakeside, they’re a trusted local resource for drain cleaning, hydro-jetting, and septic system maintenance. They also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau®. To schedule an appointment, call (406) 752-1244. Visit them online to learn more about their other offerings.