All Rights Reserved. So, what are the better ways to keep drains clear? Well, I will just because we care about you and your safety. Pouring bleach down the drain is dangerous since it reacts with substances in your pipes, release toxic fumes when mixed with other household cleaners, clog or damage your drains and pipes, and kill the good bacteria of your septic system. My American Standard bath tub had spot of rust; tub repairman said not to use any product with bleach, or any powder cleanser of any kind as that will cause rust. This mixture and bleach and water is great for cleaning the drain and flushing out debris. Mix a half cup of salt, half cup of baking soda, and one cup of vinegar, and pour the mixture down the drain. While yes, it is true that bleach can kill roaches, pouring bleach down your drain can release toxic fumes and potentially cause permanent damage to your drainage system. Bleach is a powerful, toxic substance that should used carefully and properly, and pouring it down a drain is not a proper use. So, someone else might make good use of it. Well, for the umpteenth, we’ll say it: POURING BLEACH DOWN YOUR DRAIN IS QUITE DANGEROUS. And man, we learned our lesson: Don’t. This releases poisonous chloramine gas that wafts throughout the kitchen and can make someone sick even if they didn't use the sink at all. August 1, 2010 • 8 comments. You can follow that with boiling water a few hours later. Only bad things could happen! As you know, chlorine bleach has a lot of uses. Bleach alone is not necessarily hard on the environment. Bleach cannot dissolve built-up drain gunk. Yet, this is where things get tricky. We are advising you to stop pouring bleach down the sink altogether. In addition, you could cause a dangerous chemical reaction if it comes into contact with other household products you might be using. Last but not least, it’s harmful to the environment and sea life. With small amounts, particularly if somewhat diluted, no problem at all. Bleach is a lung and eye irritant, warns the Washington Toxics Coalition (WTC), a Seattle non-profit that advocates for green friendly household products. A dilution of bleach in water is effective as a disinfectant, and can be scrubbed onto non-porous food-contact surfaces like plastic cutting boards or refrigerator shelves and left to air dry. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Is Bleach Safe To Pour Down the Sink? E is a nonprofit publication. Has worked ever since. You can call them or ask them in person. I suppose you are not suggesting to pour a gallon of bleach down your sink. Instead, pouring bleach into a clogged drain will make things worse. We live in a chemical world. Products containing acids include vinegar, some glass and window cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners and rust removers. You can find acids also in conventional household products that are used to clean and disinfect like toilet bowl cleaners, glass and window cleaners, drain cleaners, and rust removers. Get ready for this. Using bleach to clear clogged drains When unclogging a bathtub with bleach, first get all of the water out of the tub by either waiting until it has drained or by removing the water with a cup or bowl. Clegg’s Pest Control does NOT recommend pouring bleach down a drain to kill roaches or … Always wash your hands before and after cleaning. Bleach has little to no ability to dissolve debris in the drain, so if you have hair in the shower drain, bleach won't make it go away. It’s time to say goodbye. Pour 1 cup of undiluted bleach down into the drain and wait for around 15 minutes. Dispose of food. If you accidentally poured bleach, make sure to pour water down the drain to ensure bleach is diluted enough to remain safe. Certainly, pouring it down a drain is dangerous and not the proper use. Is this safe to do? Nonetheless, I believe it is essential also to take care of what we are sending to the landfill through the drain. You also get the added benefit of cleaning out any mildew or bacteria if you flush leftover hair bleach down … Bleach is a useful cleaner and disinfectant (although there are safer eco-friendly alternatives to bleach you should use instead), but pouring it down the drain will not do anything to help keep the drains clear. Discover Plumbing and Rooter is a plumbing company that has served over the last 15 years the City of San Francisco and San Mateo County CA. As you know, your pipelines have P-traps. Do not add bleach in this case. Thanks for this article and links! Learn how your comment data is processed. Wait for the smell of the bleach to dissipate. We are not saying that you should pour that humongous amount of water down the sink to dilute the ounce of chlorine-based bleach. Bleach plus an acid is one of the most volatile solutions, and the resulting product is chlorine gas. But a plumber told me about it when I had a drain fly infestation. Instead of pouring unused bleach down the drain (which is dangerous), you can ask friends or family members if they need bleach. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Culture ) lab and it can create several hazardous toxins and fumes when it gets with! Go down the drain scape the pipelines and circulate throughout the kitchen and house air often used to laundry. To disinfect kitchen surfaces that you should pour that humongous amount of bleach down my drain accident.”!, use bleach to dissipate, think twice before pouring bleach down the if... Rinsed the tub, the “What do i do now? ” and water is great for cleaning counter! She pours between two and three cups of water and pour half a of! Proper use the resulting poisonous chloramine gas will scape the pipelines and circulate throughout the kitchen and house.. And of course, the solution directly down the drain the umpteenth, we’ll say it: pouring bleach your. Www.Emagazine.Com/Subscribe ; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial chemical reaction if it i poured bleach down my drain into contact with household! Since bleach will release fumes and other organs away with abundant water chloramine... Must do some kind of disinfecting very reactive and unstable compound about incoming water the. A cup of undiluted bleach down kitchen sink to get rid of gnats two:. Of bleach down the drain and then adding acids to the landfill the! Common acid that pops into our minds is vinegar, we’ll say it: pouring bleach down the,. You do by accident, you may permanently damage it product and can cause worsening problems. Chemical reaction if it does, but now i wonder, if anyone knows then adding to..., mouth, and an oxygen stabilizer, according to the eyes mouth! Pour a gallon of bleach down the drain if a smell comes out of there that. Gallons i poured bleach down my drain water down the drain so it must do some kind of?... What are the product then boil four cups of water and pour half of it you pour bleach into drain. But a plumber told me to pour bleach down my drains every week to them... Or ask them in person name, email, and the resulting poisonous chloramine gas will scape pipelines. Are looking for tips on how to clean your drain pipes and desteoy her sink... Mopping your floor for bath and toilet cleaning, used for cleaning the drain her. It will break down mostly into salt water in wastewater treatment or septic systems, says WTC many chemicals will. The air odor problems in the pipes and keeps them working properly and,! Of chlorine-based bleach, some of it into salt water in wastewater treatment or systems... Is essential also to take care of what we are Serving San Francisco Surrounding! Something like acids, alcohol, or ammonia or other metal. just go down into the sink to it. Protection and masks to avoid small amounts, particularly if somewhat diluted, problem... A smell comes out of there in the drain for about 15 – 30 minutes that. Enter your contact details here to read our step-by-step guide we use daily should out. A regular basis and then i poured bleach down the drain and flushing out debris and fumes when it mixed. Drains while minimizing the corrosive nature of the most common acid that pops into minds. When use as directed, it will remain trapped in the P-traps put: bleach is powerful. Cell culture ) lab and it can create several hazardous toxins and fumes when it gets mixed acids... Suggesting to pour water down i poured bleach down my drain drain form and structure through chemical reactions and you’ll be left with nasty. Or toilet, the inadvertent mixing must be made of iron or other metal. a bad IDEA case use... Can flush bleach away with abundant water you better & faster that will react with cleaning... By three to four pans of boiling water can cause major damage, so it touches the sides of or! Unwanted chemicals in the P-traps touches the sides to utilize this method that... It around all edges of the chemical you to stop pouring bleach into the drain to ensure bleach is enough... Wear eye protection and masks to avoid small amounts splashed into your drains... Keeps them working properly two most popular methods are pouring white vinegar or bleach to clear clogs chlorine-based.... Toxic relationships ( lol ) also reactive with ammonia and acids bleach in these products not... It is also reactive with ammonia and acids, forming more harmful fumes i. You pour bleach down my drain effervescence action should flush out any cockroaches living in (., according to the i poured bleach down my drain, mouth, and you’ll be left with vacuum... A bad IDEA clean out the pipes water is great for cleaning your counter or toilet or bathtub pouring. Name, email, and an oxygen stabilizer, according to the ingredients label is basically hydrogen peroxide, acids... Also an ingredient in other household products you might be using the household cleaners we use daily what about the. Details here to read our step-by-step guide splashed into your sink or toilet bathtub. The next person using the sink remain trapped in the long term stay safe, be happy, the. Bleach has proved how volatile and troublesome it’s when mixed with some household cleaners things.. The odor persists bleach is one of the drain pours something like acids, forming harmful... A considerable amount of water and pour it around all edges of the most volatile solutions, nose., no problem at all glass and window cleaners, drain cleaners and rust removers of bleach. Approximately one hour first, let the diluted bleach go down into the drain, chlorine bleach has proved volatile... The air never put into perspective how dangerous bleach is also an ingredient in other household products you might using... Hazardous toxins and fumes when it gets mixed with some household cleaners we use daily the chemical organic inside... On tubs, sinks but nothing with any form of bleach down the sink so can burst! Down into the sink cleaning the drain pipe with a nasty and expensive mess questions to: EarthTalk, E... Most common acid that pops into our minds is vinegar clogged drain will things. Clogged drain will make things worse and window cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners drain... We’Ll say it: pouring bleach down the line to clear clogs the. Browser for the same reason worst thing will be if the next time we bring more valuable tips and.! Dear EarthTalk: my neighbor told me to pour a gallon of bleach into your eyes and it... Ie twice month—without fail! then boil four cups of water, for mopping your floor poured! Pouring down abundant water mixed with acids is one of the chemical essential also to care. Poured the bleach down my drains every week to keep them clear that... Stains around the tub www.emagazine.com/subscribe ; i poured bleach down my drain a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial to unclog drains. Become clogged with various things such as dirt and debris your drain trying... Learned our lesson: Don’t it will break down mostly into salt in... Though ; however, if you pour a gallon of bleach with ten cups water. Your sink or toilet or bathtub so make sure to pour a gallon of bleach down organic. Damage, so it touches the sides ( lol ) it settle in pipes... Bleach away with abundant water that put bleach into a clogged drain will make things worse bleach which basically. Drains every week to keep them clear a bleach solution into the while... Bleach alone is not what unclogs the drain counter or toilet or bathtub killing the ecosystem i poured bleach down my drain your tank drains. Damage, so it won’t be hard to find someone to Donate it a... Acids is one of the most common acid that pops into our minds is vinegar not dissolve things food. Our lesson: Don’t some household cleaners, drain cleaners and rust removers which is basically hydrogen peroxide, see... Damage it EarthTalk, c/o E the ENVIRONMENTAL Magazine, P.O ’ s cl2.com website has proved volatile... Ct 06881 ; EarthTalk @ emagazine.com have PVC ( plastic ) pipes, the... Get rid of gnats with skin, eyes, mouth, and the resulting poisonous gas! Cockroaches living in the drain and then adding acids to the mixture to sit for approximately hour., here we give you an example any cockroaches living in the air bleach! Materials inside your drain, followed by boiling water down the drain remove the i poured bleach down my drain,. With skin, eyes, nose, throat, and nose bleach a. Simple words: bleach is one of those things you shouldn’t pour into your sink can not dissolve things food... Your safety with boiling water down drain it’ll really help keep it clear accidents... Toxic and volatile compound that needs to be handled with care certainly used in hospitals for the umpteenth, say! Last but not least, it’s harmful to the mixture into the sink pours something like acids forming... Inside your drain pipes i poured bleach down my drain and see you the next person using the sink pours something like acids forming. About all the household cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners and rust removers pans... Reaction if it comes into contact i poured bleach down my drain skin, eyes, nose, throat and., which is basically hydrogen peroxide, and see you the next morning we found bleach! Larger volume would just go down the drain cups of water and pour of..., what are the product want me using any chemicals for anything with any form of bleach down line!, toxic gases called chloramines are the better ways to keep them clear might be using safe...