If you aren’t careful about what goes down your sinks, bathtubs, and toilet drains, it could disrupt your plumbing system, causing environmental pollution or requiring emergency drain cleaning. Below are several items that can harm your plumbing and how to know when you should call a plumber.

What Should Never Go Down Your Drain?

1. Grease & Flour

Flour and food grease like fat or oil will congeal in your pipes as they cool and solidify. These substances won’t break down and will catch other debris and food scraps as they flow through your pipes. This buildup will create large clogs. Wipe down greasy or flour-coated plates and hands with paper towels or wet wipes before washing them. 

2. Non-Green Cleaners

Cleaning solutions like those used to clean sinks, scrub tubs, or disinfect toilets, create more work for the local wastewater department. These chemicals contribute to pollution as they seep into the soil harming local wildlife and foliage. Those chemicals are also resurrected through municipal water supplies that are then consumed by humans. If possible, switch to environmentally-friendly cleaning products that won’t harm plant or animal life.

3. Coffee Grounds 

Coffee grounds are a leading cause for needing emergency drain cleaning. Do not put used ground down the sink, even if you have a garbage disposal.

These particles don’t dissolve in water and tend to clump together. Over time, the buildup gets impacted, creating blockages in pipes. Empty used grounds into a compost pile or throw them in the trash.

4. Pasta & Rice

Starchy foods like pasta and rice will swell when they get wet. This swelling will even continue as water comes into contact with any food residue that has been sitting in your pipes.

Since these foods are sticky, they easily trap other materials and stick to the sides of your piping, contributing to clogs. Semolina, an ingredient found in these foods, is what causes them to swell with water. Switching to organic pasta and rice brands without semolina may help minimize the risk of needing drain cleaning.

If you need drain cleaning to prevent or get rid of clogs, trust the plumbers at Fast Flow Plumbing & Drain in New Braunfels, TX, have years of experience in comprehensive services, including drain inspections and cleanings, gas leak repairs, and water heater repairs or installations. Their work comes with a warranty and satisfaction guaranteed, and their team is available 24/7. Learn about their drain inspections or cleanings online, and call (830) 312-8822 to schedule an appointment.