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. Last but not least, it's harmful to the environment and sea life.
Simply put, pouring bleach down the drain is a bad idea. Not only can it create a harmful chemical reaction, but it can also damage your pipes.
You may permanently damage your septic system. Bleach and cleaning fluids create toxic gasses when mixed together. If you pour bleach and other cleaning agents down your sink drains, and they mix in your pipes, you can contaminate the air in your home with the resulting gas created.
While certain cleaners may not be compatible with PVC piping, bleach is usually safe to use in most applications, as long as it's used properly.
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.
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.
“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!
Can you put bleach in a toilet bowl? Yes, Clorox® Bleach is safe to add to the water in the toilet bowl.
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.
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.
Mix the bleach and water solution
Use the measuring cup to add 1 gallon of cool water to the sink, then add 1/3 cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach. You can mix the solution in a plastic bucket if you prefer.
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is a strong acid that is commonly used to dissolve clogs in drains. This acid works by breaking down organic materials such as hair, grease, and soap scum that can accumulate in pipes and cause blockages.
If the P-trap isn't working properly, sewer gasses can make their way into the bathroom and cause your sink to stink. Your sink should also have a vent that gives backflowing gases somewhere to go. If the sewer smell in your sink is caused by a blocked air vent, you may need professional assistance.
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.
Diluted bleach can be poured down a drain (sparingly).
When pouring bleach down drains for disposal, you'll need to keep this same principle in mind. It can be done (in most cases), but you must always dilute the bleach with a lot of water.
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.
Diluted bleach is okay in moderation.
Mix one gallon of water with ½ of bleach and let sit for 5 minutes before draining.
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.
Although you can use 1/5 to 3/4 of a cup of bleach to clean and deodorize drains, followed by a good flushing of hot water, it will not clear a clog. Bleach is amazing at sanitizing and killing germs, but it won't eat through hair and soap scum that's trapped in the pipes and causing a clog.
Urine contains bacteria that can cause odors and lead to toilet blockages if left too long. If you need to leave urine in the toilet for any reason, be sure to flush it away immediately after use. Additionally, urine should not be left sitting in the toilet bowl overnight, as this can increase the ...
› Leaving neat bleach in the sink can cause damage to all sinks even stainless steel. If neat bleach should come into contact with this product, please rinse thoroughly with warm soapy water.
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.
The most likely cause of a sulfur smell or other bad smell coming from a drain is stuck food, and it's the easiest to fix. As food that gets clogged in a drain or disposal decomposes, it emits gasses that cause unpleasant odors.
Once a week, pour a large pot of boiling water down kitchen and bath drains. Sprinkle baking soda down all of your sink and shower drains every week to absorb odors. If you have a kitchen garbage disposal, run it for 20 seconds every time food goes down the drain.
LEMON SLICES Citrus is a natural cleaning agent (and it smells good, too). Cut up a lemon into small slices and put them down your garbage disposal. With the water running, turn the disposal on and let it run until the lemon is completely ground. Turn off the disposal and let the water run for another 30 seconds.