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.
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.
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.
Preventative Maintenance
Pouring bleach into the drain when the unit is not operating can leave residual bleach, which will damage the drain pan and line. Using vinegar for preventative maintenance throughout the year will keep your drain clean and clear and will not damage your line.
First, you want to pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. Then, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. After that, pour one cup of white vinegar—you can mix it with water if it is not enough to get all the baking soda down the drain. Cover the drain with a plug and wait 10 to 15 minutes.
The corrosive properties of the bleach can wear away at the internal parts of your toilet, such as rubber seals, and cause leaks or other potentially permanent damage.
Below are reasons why you should stop using bleach-containing tablets and save your toilet. When a cleaning tablet sits in toilet water, it dissolves and interacts with the plastic and rubber materials surrounding it, including gaskets, washers, and pipes.
Unlike chemical drain cleaners, hydrogen peroxide won't destroy your pipes and drains. It is safe for regular use so you can do a hydrogen peroxide flush once every few weeks to keep your drains and pipes in good shape. However, for more complicated issues, it is always better to call your plumber.
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.
Generally, you should leave bleach in your shower drain for about 10–15 minutes before flushing it down with hot water. However, it's best if you check the manufacturer's instructions for the product you're using.
Let it sit for 5 minutes. Wipe down the faucet: Meanwhile, dip your sponge into the bleach solution and use it to wipe down the faucet. Drain the sink and wipe it down: Drain the sink, use a damp sponge to give it a quick wipe-down, and let it air dry.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
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.
Along with gravity, this pressure helps remove unwanted goop out of the pipes and unclogs drains. Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water can help clean drains naturally, but you may need something stronger, like Liquid-Plumr, to fully unclog those really tough drain clogs.
Another argued: 'The bleach will eventually eat away at the porcelain and damage any plastic and chrome fittings. Toilets should be cleaned with warm soapy water and dried with an old towel.
Too much bleach can kill or disrupt the bacteria within a septic tank. It is also toxic to aquatic life. If your septic tank is located close to a natural water system, there is a high chance that bleach from your wastewater is being directly released into the groundwater through your septic system.
Ideally, most people should deep clean their home two or three times a year, but many people only manage to tackle their spring cleaning checklist once a year. “We recommend our customers have a deep cleaning performed at least twice a year.
Leaving bleach in a toilet overnight is fine, but you shouldn't leave it any longer, or else it might corrode your toilet. If you do decide to leave it in the bowl overnight, let other members of your household know so that they don't use the toilet and accidentally mix the bleach with ammonia from urine.
Cleaning vinegar is a natural sanitiser with 6% acetic acid, which makes it 20 times stronger than white vinegar. Like bleach, it can fight grime, kill bacteria and remove mould. It also works great for descaling the toilet and is even a better product than bleach.
Hot vinegar does a fantastic job of keeping your drains clean and smelling nice. To do this, you need to warm up some white vinegar and pour it down your drains. Adding a cup of baking soda can help you make it more effective. But, on its own, you can be confident it will do a great job.
Use a Mixture of Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Hot Water
Pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain, followed by half a cup of white vinegar. Then cover the drain opening and let it sit for 15-minutes. After this, pour boiling water down the drain to flush it out.
“I use the time-honored baking soda and vinegar trick. Dump a good handful of baking soda into the drain, let sit (don't run any water) for 15 minutes, then pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar down. Watch the bubbles, hear the pops and fizz, and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Then, boiling water and voila!
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.