Can I flush this?
We have the answers to the questions you have been asking for years! To Flush or Not to Flush!
Grease – Grease from meat fat, cooking, and even skin and hair products can create a build up on the sides of your drain pipes. Over time these substances build up and harden and make your pipes smaller eventually preventing everything from getting through. This will cause a drain back up that can cause messy, smelly problems!
THE VERDICT: DO NOT FLUSH! Even running hot water while dumping grease down the drain will not help prevent it from sticking around! Instead use a can or jar to discard grease and throw it away with the trash!
Feminine hygiene products – though some boxes may say “flushable” they are in fact not meant to be flushed.
THE VERDICT – DO NOT FLUSH! These should be disposed in a trash. By flushing they can cause unnecessary drain cleaning expenses and happens to be a very high contributor to calls we receive for drain cleaning.
Hair – weather from your head or a family pet, hair clogs accumulate in and around sinks, tubs and showers.
THE VERDICT – DO NOT “Intentionally” FLUSH! Though you may not be able to prevent all hair from going down the drain, don’t brush the dog and flush the fur down the toilet. It can get clogged and cause backups. For showers and sinks check your stoppers frequently. Periodically you will want to clear them out before the hair can accumulate and form a clog. This includes men shaving over the sink. When shaving, use a paper towel to catch as much hair as possible and dispose in the trash.
Medications – When no longer needed, you may not want to have that medication around your home. But is flushing them down the toilet the best solution for disposal?
THE VERDICT – DO NOT FLUSH! This one is not necessary to prevent clogs, but to prevent contamination in our waterways. The FDA recommends to: “Mix the medicines (do not crust tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds. Then place the mixture in a container such as a zip top or sealable plastic bag, and throw the container away in your household trash.”
Some Pharmacy’s now offer a safe kiosk to drop off unused medications. Check with your local pharmacist to see if this is a service they offer.
Chemical Drain Cleaners – Advertised as an inexpensive alternative to calling a professional drain cleaner, chemical drain cleaners such as Liquid Plumber and Drano can cause a lot of damage to the areas of your drain that you can not see – your pipes!
THE VERDICT – DO NOT FLUSH! Drain cleaners and Plumbers recommend NOT using these products in your drains. The chemicals are very strong and can eat away at your pipes causing erosion and in some cases can actually cause explosions. They can also cause burns and are poisonous to children and animals who may get to close and ingest them! It is best to call a professional like Viking Sewer and Drain instead of using these chemicals in your drains.
Single Ply Toilet Paper – Toilet paper brands are creating thicker and thicker sheets of paper to keep your “bum soft” but are they good for keeping your toilet clear of clogs. The thicker the paper gets the more likely you are to have a paper clog.
THE VERDICT –FLUSH IT! – Single ply paper is what we recommend for most toilets and septic systems. There are even brands that will both protect your bum and your pipes!