Bleach is a powerful, toxic substance that should be used carefully and properly, and pouring it down a drain is not a proper use. Bleach can react with other substances in your pipes, potentially release fumes, and further plug up the system.
Never Pour Bleach Down Your Household Drain
And these uses won't present any risk. Just like cooking oil, bleach is one of those things you shouldn't pour into your sink. You should also never use bleach to unclog your drains. Doing so can even burst your drain pipes, and you'll be left with a nasty and expensive mess.
Bleach Kills the Good Bacteria in Your Septic System
But when you pour bleach down the drain, it can kill that helpful bacteria, leading to clogs and a buildup of dangerous wastewater that can potentially overflow into the surrounding environment, like your home.
No. Bleach is a very powerful and toxic substance, so you need to take particular caution in what you apply it to – pouring bleach down a drain does not constitute a proper use. Bleach has the potential to react with other substances in plumbing and pipework, and could end up causing further clogging of the system.
To use bleach to kill odor-causing bacteria, first, fill your sink with hot water. Then, add about one cup of regular household bleach to the sink. After you've added the bleach, allow the sink to drain. Repeat the process until the drain smells more like bleach than anything else.
Bleach is a common cleaner found in most homes, but is it safe to use in homes with PVC piping? In short, yes. You can safely use bleach to clean and disinfect your PVC pipes, as long as you dilute it first and avoid mixing it with other chemicals.
Once a month, pour 12 ounces of chlorine bleach straight down the drain at the end of the day. Be careful not to let the bleach sit in the bowl of the sink, especially if the sink is stainless steel. In the morning, flush the pipe thoroughly with water from the faucet.
Yes. You should try and avoid using bleach in the toilet when possible, and opting instead to apply a non-chemical cleaner such as soapy water for cleaning purposes. In doing so, you'll avoid causing potential damage to the glazing on the porcelain surface of the toilet.
Diluted bleach is okay in moderation.
Mix one gallon of water with ½ of bleach and let sit for 5 minutes before draining.
Pour a 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Pour a 1/2 cup lemon juice down the drain as well. Plug the drain and let the solution work for one hour. Finish by running the hot tap water down the drain.
Pouring boiling water is quite risky as it might lead to a steam burn or scalding. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of material you are pouring in into. If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road.
How to dispose of hair bleach properly? Once you're done with your leftover hair bleach, Ideally the best way to get rid of it is to take it to your local hazardous waste disposal center. These facilities can usually be found near most major cities and are set up to handle harmful chemicals.
Since bleach is more unstable in its diluted form, which causes it to degrade in effectiveness, the best practice is to mix your bleach solution fresh for every application. “Diluted bleach can degrade due to temperature, light or contamination, causing the active ingredient to break down into salt and water,” says Ek.
If your drain is clogged with hair, baking soda can dissolve hair in a drain. To try this safe and easy method at home - first, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar (white vinegar) down. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes.
Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain. It acts as a natural cleaning solution and can remove blockages and harmful bacteria that cause foul odors.
Professional cleaners often use the same household supplies as you would: toilet-bowl cleaner (or bleach), disinfectant wipes, rubber gloves, as well as a nonscratch scrub sponge, a microfiber cloth, or paper towels. A handheld scrub brush or a pumice stone can get to especially tough stains.
Just add half a cup of bleach to your detergent drawer and run a normal wash cycle with hot water to kill germs and eliminate smells. Run an extra rinse cycle to flush out any remaining bleach.
Vinegar and baking soda produce that oh-so-familiar chemical reaction that powers through buildup and loosens tough stains. While it might seem like it's chewing its way through grime, it's not powerful enough to damage the porcelain finish of the toilet bowl.
Vinegar is definitely the easier of the two to rinse out of the drain line. Bleach should not be used for drain lines that are made of PVC or ABS plastic. Chlorine bleach eats away at not only the line but the glue and cement joining the line to the fittings and the condensation pan.
Can you pour bleach down the kitchen sink? While bleach is a known disinfectant, you should never pour it down the drains. It's a toxic and volatile compound that can react with substances in your pipes. It also releases toxic fumes when mixed with other household cleaners.
Bleach Contains Harsh Chemicals
It's fun of harsh chemicals that break down materials it's used on. If you're constantly pouring down your drains or using pure bleach to scrub your fixtures, you can corrode them and cause them to malfunction.
Bleach can be corrosive to the steel and ruin your sink. If you have a porcelain sink, check the pipes under your sink. Don't use bleach if you have stainless-steel pipes. Vinegar may be a reliable natural disinfectant, but if you're looking for something with more of a kick, bleach may be the way to go.