We’ve all heard the hype and seen the Instagram reels promoting products that seem too good to be true. The fact is, if it seems too good to be true, it’s because it is. There are countless products that claim to make your life easier and your drains cleaner. In reality, they’ll end up giving you a headache in the long-run.
Drain Cleaner
Drain cleaners seem like an easy solution to quickly unclog a drain. The intense combination of chemicals is actually designed to create heat to break down the clog until it can no longer hold to the pipes’ sides. Continued use of drain cleaners over time can cause your pipes to crack and fail. It’s also been known to eat away at the adhesive that joins pipes together. Plastic and older pipes are even more susceptible to damage. Drain cleaners also have the potential to damage anything they come into contact with—including your body.
Flushable Wipes
No matter how many times or how many languages it says it in on the packaging, flushable wipes are NOT flushable. No, really. They aren’t. So-called flushable wipes are only flushable if your end goal is a clogged toilet. Avoid a visit from one of our technicians. Most wipes are made from a blend of synthetic materials that do not dissolve when flushed. They quickly clog your plumbing system since they don’t break down like toilet paper. If you’re going to use them, throw them in the trash instead of down the toilet.
Toilet Tank Tablets
Automatic toilet bowl cleaners in the form of tablets that are placed in the tank and claim to clean continuously often do more harm than good. Allowing chemicals to sit in your toilet indefinitely corrodes the toilet’s components, such as the flapper, fill valve, and flush valve, as well as your pipes. These tablets can also disrupt the microbial balance in septic systems.
Foaming Sink Overflow Cleaner
The latest trending cleaning craze is using a foaming cleaner to clean out bathroom sink overflows. These can be a convenient option for cleaning and deodorizing sink overflows, but they should be used with caution. While some are designed to be safe for pipes and drains, they can still pose risks if not used properly or if misused with other chemical cleaners.
It’s possible for mildew to build-up in the sink overflow, resulting in an unpleasant smell. You can clean it by pouring some bleach down the overflow and repeat as needed until the smell is gone.
There’s no shortage of products that will claim to make your life easier. Before rushing to try the latest one, do some research to make sure the product is actually safe to use. If you have any doubts about its effectiveness, or if it’s safe to use with your pipes, give us a call at (864) 444-6570.
