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What should not be thrown into the sewer, list, reasons
And in the toilet too. Anything on our list should be kept away from the sewer system.
It seems that the true connoisseurs of human nature can be called not psychologists, but plumbers. They know more about people than anyone else because they know the other side of their life. It turns out that plumbing is caught out of clogged pipes so that if you tell someone, they won’t believe it. Dead goldfish and diapers are just the tip of the iceberg. But today we will not poison stories in the genre of urban legends, but we will tell you that you cannot throw it down the drain, unless, of course, fighting blockages is not your secret hobby.
Now we can go and buy any glue without any problems. And before our parents cooked paste. Guess what. Bingo! Water and flour – that’s a wonderful glue for you. Which “cooks” in the pipes when you carelessly flush the remaining flour into the sink after kneading the dough. This paste perfectly clogs pipes. The most insidious thing is not right away. He gradually makes the pipes narrower and narrower, and then they have to be cleaned manually.
Animal fat easily melts and rinses down the sink when we wash the dishes. But as soon as it “floats” to the cold section of the pipe, it immediately freezes and settles on the nearest surface. Experts say that real fat islands grow in the pipes, which also have to be removed manually. So it’s best to blot the surface with a paper towel and throw it in the trash.
No, milk will not clog or break anything. But it is colossally harmful to the environment when it ends up in water. The fact is that milk, decomposing, absorbs oxygen from the water, thereby making it impossible for the microorganisms that live in this very water to breathe. As a result, we get a small man-made ecological disaster. And if our neighbors also sin by pouring milk into the sewer, then the scale of the catastrophe is growing. In England, by the way, they are fined for such jokes.
Ground coffee seems to be able to work like an abrasive, cleaning pipes. And the smell will be fresher. But no. Layers of coffee grounds settle on the pipes, lay on top of each other, stick together, and gradually turn into a headache. Yours, of course. So there are two ways: either throw the used coffee into the trash, or pour it into flower pots if you have a lot of flowers. Coffee is an excellent plant fertilizer. As well as the tea leaves, which, by the way, cannot be thrown into the sewer.
In movies, we often see bad (or good) guys flushing kilograms of various substances down the drain. And to be honest, you have to beat them for that. It’s all about ecology again. What we pour into the sink or toilet ultimately ends up in the ground and into the water, which we again drink. We can say that this is just a drop in the ocean compared to a general ecological disaster. But why multiply it? By the way, the adhesive plaster, which is often sent to the toilet, can also be a disaster. But already local, in your home: even if it does not adhere well to the skin, it clogs the pipes perfectly.
6. Cotton pads, dental floss and paper towels
Cotton pads do not dissolve in water, but stupidly clog the drain. The paper towels dissolve, but rather slowly. So, by throwing a couple of pieces into the toilet, you risk being left alone with an unwelcoming gurgling monster. And even the floss demonstrates monstrous cunning. He does not slip effortlessly through the pipes, no. It behaves just like hair: it wraps itself around everything it can, gets tangled up, and – voila! – blockage.
Corn kernels, cherry pits, chia seeds, now trendy – all these things can swell perfectly in water. Thanks to this property, they turn into a real nightmare for pipes and plumbers. Apple cores and bones are also great at clogging up drains. Therefore, it is better to bring all these dubious things to the trash can.
First, it is not environmentally friendly. Toxic waste has no place in the water system. Secondly, paint is a very viscous substance. It behaves in much the same way as fat, clumping and blocking pipes. Other waste, in itself harmless, then sticks to the lumps of paint, and we again get a disaster.
9. Rice, pasta and potatoes
Where do sour soup or spoiled porridge usually go? That’s right, in the toilet. And this is wrong. All of these foods contain starch, which has the unique ability to swell almost indefinitely. Once in the sewer, rice, potatoes and pasta turn into a sticky lump, which swells, collects other leftovers and stubs and reliably clogs the pipe.
10. Wet wipes, condoms and tampons
It is not for nothing that public toilets have appeals not to throw feminine hygiene items down the toilet. But some even manage to drown baby diapers there. Tampons and pads do not dissolve in water, otherwise they would not be able to perform their primary task. Condoms – there is nothing to comment on. And even wet wipes, which are called disposable, are dangerous for pipes: they are too thick to dissolve. It’s like flushing handkerchiefs down the toilet.
By the way
Also, don’t pour the pasta water down the sink. But not because it harms the pipes, but because starch water can be used in another way, much more useful. Sauces, hair masks, fertilizers for flowers and even dishwashing liquid are made on the basis of pasta water. How to do all this, read HERE.