Save yourself from costly problems by never pouring bleach down the drain
Bleach can create dangerous chemicals when mixed with household cleaners and organic waste.
Pouring bleach down the drain can ruin your pipes, leading to costly repairs.
Contact your waste management authority if you need to get rid of bleach.
There are many safe ways to clear a drain clog, but pouring bleach down the drain isn't one of them. When bleach mixes with household chemicals and organic matter, such as food waste, it can create chemical reactions that are incredibly harmful to your health and the environment. This guide covers why pouring bleach down the drain isn't safe, better alternatives to clearing a clog, and safe ways to dispose of bleach.
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.
If you pour bleach down the drain, it can come into contact with other household chemicals and cleaners. And when it does, it can create a volatile chemical reaction that releases dangerous gases. Plus, when bleach comes into contact with organic matter in the drain, like food scraps, it can create other chemical compounds, like chloroform, which can negatively impact your health.
Bleach is incredibly corrosive and can eat at your pipes, leading to leaks. If you have a strong clog in your pipes and you pour bleach down, the bleach can't move through, so it will sit on top of the blockage—which can make the blockage harder and bigger, creating lots of pressure that can cause your pipes to crack or burst.
Your septic system contains bacteria that break down organic matter, like food and human waste, helping to prevent clogs and keep your system running smoothly. 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.
Instead of using bleach or liquid drain cleaners to clear a clogged drain, try these safer alternatives.
Squirt 1 ounce of dish soap down the drain to break down grease, then pour hot water on top of it before flushing with water for five minutes.
Mix 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 3 cups of hot water, then slowly pour the solution down the drain.
Pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then immediately follow it with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Then pour a few cups of hot water down the drain and let it all sit for about one hour before flushing it with hot tap water.
Run the faucet until there's 1 to 2 inches of standing water in the sink or tub, then use a plunger to loosen the clog.
Use a plastic drain cleaning tool or a wire hanger to break up the clog.
Take apart the P trap and clear any clogs in it, then put it back on.
If you have already poured bleach down the drain, immediately flush it with lots of clean water to help dilute it and move it through the pipes. Use at least several gallons of water, but potentially more depending on how much bleach went into the drain. In this situation, it's best to use more water than you think you need rather than less. And if you're worried that the bleach caused damage to your pipes or you're not able to flush it with water due to a clog, call a local plumber to tackle the problem for you, as it can be quite dangerous.
Bleach can release harmful toxins if mixed with certain substances, leading to severe damage to your lungs, eyes, and skin, and can sometimes be life-threatening. Keep in mind that bleach will also react with any residuals in your drain, so make sure nothing from the list below may be sitting around before you pour any bleach.
Top substances that should never be mixed with bleach include:
Ammonia: Ammonia and bleach create chloramines, a toxic gas that can irritate your eyes, skin, and nose, chest pain and wheezing, and can cause death under prolonged exposure.
Acid: including vinegar. Bleach and any acidic substance together create chlorine gas. When inhaled directly, chlorine can cause severe internal burning, vomiting, pneumonia, and even death.
Rubbing alcohol: Bleach and rubbing alcohol create chloroform, another highly toxic gas that can damage your eyes, lungs, and liver. This combination also yields a highly corrosive acid known as peracetic/peroxyacetic acid, which burns anything it touches, like your skin and eyes.
Household cleaners: most household cleaners, including surface cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners, will create one of the above-mentioned toxic gases when mixed with bleach. The same goes for pesticides.
Never dispose of bleach by pouring it down the drain or into the trash. Instead, see if your local waste management authority has a disposal system for hazardous waste that you can use. If not, give the bleach away so someone else can use it, like a friend or a non-profit organization.
If you’ve already poured bleach into the drain and are worried about the damage it may have caused, contact a plumber. Even if you’ve unclogged your pipes, you should still contact a professional because bleach can cause damage to your pipes.
Let the plumber know that you poured bleach into the drain, how long ago, how much you poured down, and if the clog remained. If you notice any chemical smell during the process, leave the room and contact a pro immediately.
Kelly Weimert contributed to this piece.
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