It’s a lot easier to just turn the tap on and wash things down your kitchen sink as opposed to properly disposing of them, but did you know there are actually a lot of items out there that you shouldn’t wash down the sink. There is a multitude of reasons why you shouldn’t wash certain items down the sink. The most common one is that they can cause blockage, but another big reason is that it can be toxic to the environment. The following 9 things are items and liquids that your Rowville plumbers recommend you don’t put down your sink.

1.    Eggshells

The sharp edges of the eggshells will collect debris as they go down the drain and help contribute to the eventual blockage of your drain. So be sure to dispose of your eggshells in the trash.

 

2.    Coffee grounds

Found to be one of the more common causes of a blocked sink, coffee grounds are to be disposed of in the trash and not the sink. Even if it’s only a small amount of grounds at a time being disposed of down the sink, the build-up will eventually cause a blockage. It’ll take even less time if large amounts are being disposed of at a time. So be sure to throw them out into the rubbish or compost bin. Don’t forget to watch out for the grounds at the bottom of your mug.

 

3.    Grease

Though it’s tempting – and easier – to pour leftover grease or other oil-based liquids down the sink, they will stick to the side of the pipes and restrict them over time, eventually leading to blockage. A tip for this is to let the oil-based liquid cool and then dispose of it in the trash. This goes for butter, salad dressings and leftover fats.

 

4.    Flour

This is definitely not something you should be disposing of down your sink, similarly to coffee grounds this will lead to blockage. However, because flour hardens when mixed with water, the blockage effects can be even worse than coffee grounds as tough lumps can form in your pipes if you do not dispose of the flour in the trash.

 

5.    Pills and medication

If for whatever reason you need to dispose of medication – whether it’s because it’s expired, or you have no use for it anymore – you should never pour them down the sink. The chemicals from the pills can end up in the drinking water or groundwater supply, leading to contamination. Your local pharmacy will generally have safe procedures for disposing of medication appropriately.

 

6.    Cleaning products

Cleaning products generally contain harmful chemicals in them which give them their effective edge. It is for this reason that they should only be disposed of in a chemically appropriate fashion. Aside from contaminating drinking water supplies, hazardous chemicals such as phosphates and antibacterial agents are also toxic to our ecosystem and are not removed in water treatment plants.

 

7.    Expanding foods

Whilst the majority of food is ok to go down the drain, food that expands in water such as pasta is a no go and should not go down the sink if it can be helped. This is similar to the way flour reacts to water and will block the drain in a similar fashion. In addition to this, large quantities of any food put down the drain at once will also cause a blockage.

 

8.    Paint

Just like with the cleaning products, paint contains hazardous chemicals and should not be disposed of down the sink as it will affect the ecosystem in a negative manner and contaminate water supplies. You’re able to dispose of paint appropriately at one of these locations.

 

9.    Stickers

Fruit and vegetables tend to have little stickers on them that we sometimes ignore or miss when washing them. If they fall off, they can eventually cause blockage problems not only for your pipes but also at water treatment facilities where they can build-up. Be sure to take them off and throw them in the bin before that happens.

 

After some plumbers in Rowville?

JPG Plumbing offers the best quality services using experienced Rowville plumbers. With years of experience, our fully qualified Rowville plumbers are ready to tackle any job you need doing as well as offer expert advice on a subject. We specialise in both residential and commercial areas of the trade and provide quality maintenance work as well.

If you would like to know more about the variety of services we offer then please give us a call on 0400 978 442 or send us a message through our website here.