secure your pipesand your walletfrom any costly future repairs.
But some substancescandestroy your pipes.
From coffee grounds to household cleaners, here are nine things plumbers say you shouldnt pour down the drain.
Winnond/Getty Images
Pouring paint down the drain can contaminate water sources and damage your pipes.
Read the label on paint that you use and dispose of it according to the directions.
If in doubt, take leftover paint to a hazardous waste disposal center.
Rattankun Thongbun/Getty Images
Fibrous Vegetables
Toxitz/Getty Images
Vegetables are another common food thrown down kitchen sink drains.
These fibrous materials can lead to costly repairs and major inconvenience.
Instead of throwing them down the drain, add fibrous vegetables to your compost or trash.
MurzikNata/Getty Images
Use a strainer in your sink to prevent these foods from going down the drain.
Use a strainer to catch starchy food particles before they enter the drain.
Household Cleaners
Carol Yepes/Getty Images
Do not pour household cleaners down the drain.
Toxitz/Getty Images
Cleaners can damage pipes and harm the environment.
Instead, take cleaners to a hazardous waste disposal site.
Many household cleaners contain corrosive chemicals that can damage pipes and harm septic systems, Leman says.
dolgachov/Getty images
Throw your grounds into the compost or trash instead.
Coffee grounds can accumulate in pipes, causing clogs and expensive future repairs, Cherniak says.
They are oily and can clump up, making it difficult for water to pass through.
Carol Yepes/Getty Images
Produce Stickers
krblokhin/getty images
Produce stickers are a small but sticky substance that can block your pipes.
Peel stickers off your produce and dispose of them in the trash.
Produce stickers can stick to pipes and cause blockages or get caught in water treatment filters, Leman says.
Sergei Chumakov / photonyx.net/Getty Images
Instead, dispose of the litter in the trash.
Even products labeled as flushable can clump and block your pipes, Leman says.
They can stick to the sides of your pipes, leading to blockages.
krblokhin/getty images
Instead of allowing eggshells to go into the drain, add them to your compost or trash.
Cris Cantón/Getty Images
Carol Yepes/Getty Images
