Clog Doc provides expert drain clean & plumbing services in Northeast Ohio.  As such we are often asked for drain cleaning tips and hacks.  One of which is:

How To Protect Your Drains and Avoid Costly Repairs?

Discarding certain waste in your toilets, garbage disposal and sinks, can damage your plumbing system and cause major backups in the house. Washing items or liquids down a sink can have similar consequences and even the use of garbage disposal may not offer full protection. Although the disposal is capable of grinding leftover foods and waste, certain prohibited items can damage it and cause costly backups and clogs.

DISPOSABLE DIAPERS AND SANITARY NAPKINS
Never flush a disposable diaper or sanitary napkin down the toilet. These items are simply too big for your plumbing system’s pipes to move. They frequently become stuck and can’t be dislodged with a plunger. In many cases, you’ll need a professional to fully disassemble your pipes and remove the item. This sometimes entails digging up buried pipes in your yard which not only destroys your lawn, but also costs a pretty penny.

HAIR AND DENTAL FLOSS
Some hair will go down the drain. It’s inevitable. And our plumbing systems can handle small amounts of hair here and there. But don’t clean out your hairbrush and dispose of the wad of hair in the drain. And never put dental floss in the toilet or sink. These stringy items will eventually get tangled together and create a clog that no amount of chemical drain opener will clear.

COOKING FATS, OILS AND GREASE (FOGS)
Pouring grease or cooking oil down the sink will damage your drains as grease congeals as it cools. You’ll have a greasy lining in your pipes which will constrain the water flow and clog the drain. When fats, oils and grease (FOGs) enter public sewer systems, they mix with solid particulates, damage public infrastructure and strain the efforts to treat wastewater.

PAPER TOWELS, COTTON BALLS AND SWABS
Unlike toilet paper, paper towels, cotton balls, and cotton swabs are not designed to disintegrate in water. Plus, they’re absorbent which means they actually get heavier and harder to move once they’re wet. Flushing them down the toilet will block up plumbing lines and/or lead to problems with septic systems. Not only is it an expensive problem to fix, but it’s also pretty disgusting.

MEDICATION
Whether an over-the-counter or a prescription, never flush medications down the toilet or pour them down a sink drain. Public water filtration systems cannot remove medications from the water. This means that those chemicals can be transferred to your community’s tap water.

COFFEE GROUNDS
Don’t ever put coffee grounds down the sink or garbage disposal unless you want clogged plumbing. Any plumber will tell you coffee grounds are one of the most common culprits for clogged pipes.

BONES AND EGG SHELLS
Even though your garbage disposal is capable of chewing up egg shells and small bones from poultry or fish, you still should refrain from testing it for yourself. They are known to damage the disposal and clog up your drains. Always throw them in the trash.

FLUSHABLE WIPES AND TAMPONS
The package says they’re flushable, but tampons and personal wipes shouldn’t be flushed under any circumstance. They can clog your plumbing lines and they cause problems for public sewer systems. When mixed with oils and grease, they can create giant masses that block public sewer lines causing backups.

As always please call Clog Doc for drain cleaning services, water jetting or pipe lining services at (330) 960-2564.  Thanks For Visiting the Clog Doc, the best drain cleaning service in Cuyahoga Falls!