What Can You Pour Down the Drain?

“Don’t pour that down the drain, it will clog it!”

Most of us have been admonished by someone pouring grease or some other substance down a sink or other drain. However, there are far more culprits to a clogged pipe system than bacon grease and knowing what is safe to flush or drain can save you money and headaches over the long run.

That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide about what not to pour down the drain and how to deal with common household items.

What Not to Put Down Your Drain

While none of these should instantaneously clog a kitchen sink or toilet, over time these items will significantly hurt your plumbing systems and pipes, so don’t put these down:

  • Grease: Grease (along with fats and oils) are substances that cause kitchen plumbing issues. As these are binding agents once they cool down, they will rapidly clog pipes and drains. Put these in jars or cans to cool before disposing of them in the trash.
  • Expanding Food: We’re talking about the rice, pasta, and oatmeal of the world. Most starchy or grainy solids that puff up will cause blockages if they are poured down your drain. Scraping plates into the trash before rinsing is a must.
  • Coffee Grounds: One of the most common causes of kitchen sink blockages, coffee grounds are harsh on pipes and do not get properly ground by garbage disposals.
  • Flour: We don’t recommend making a sourdough starter in your kitchen sink drain. Think of the consistency of bread dough – it pretty much just takes flour and water, so avoid a clog by not putting flour down the drain.
  • Eggshells: Another seemingly harmless bi-product like coffee grounds, these are not easily disposed of and can get stuck in viscous pockets of other difficultto- drain substances.
  • Fibrous Fruits and Veggies: Produce like pumpkin, corn husks, and other tough-shelled fruits and veggies can easily clog your kitchen sink. Trash or compost them instead.
  • Paint: Paint can immediately cause serious drainage issues – and subsequent health risks. There are reasons why there are hazardous waste labels on most paints, so avoid rinsing them down your drain.
  • Paper Products: Specifically avoid any non-toilet paper as any excess of fibrous paper can cause a clog. Items like paper towels, wipes, sanitary products, or packaging should never be put down a drain – they will not leave without professional assistance.
  • Harsh Cleaning Products: These products might not necessarily clog your sinks and drains, but they can be hazardous to your health and eat away at your pipes. Check specific labels on products to see how best to dispose of them.
  • Flushable Products: Feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, and other ‘flushable’ products can all put significant strain on your drain. Some people (and even product packaging) will insist these are fine to flush but take it from us – they are not.
  • Medication: Another seemingly innocuous set of products in terms of clogging, medication is a leading source of contaminating water supplies. Be courteous to your own household as well as others by not flushing or draining unused medication. There are dozens of other common products that can harm pipes – we always recommend thinking about how a material will react to confined spaces and water before putting it down a drain.

When a Clogged Sink Becomes a Bigger Problem

While specific product and single-drain issues are important to understand and prevent, there is one scenario that requires significant alarm and immediate professional assistance: a mainline clog.

A main sewer line blockage can cause significant property damage as well as contaminate your water. Several telltale signs of this issue are:

–Multiple drains are backed up at once: Especially if you have not noticed issues prior and they quickly switched to gurgling, draining slowly, and emitting putrid smells.
–Sewage forced up floor drains/sewer cleanouts: If water cannot pass through your main sewer line, then the sewage/wastewater will have to escape elsewhere. This will be either your sewer cleanout, sitting floor drains, or both.
–Water backs up in your shower when the toilet flushes: This is the most common occurrence of displaced wastewater with nowhere to go, but there are other similar issues. These include toilet overflows while using a dishwasher or washing machine – basically anything that creates more water that cannot make it through the sewer lines.