The simple answer is no. No food substance is designed to break down and be permanently removed by the toilet. If you are staring at the screen in guilt for being an avid food flusher, do not panic, the sooner you stop the better. All in all, if you are looking for a way to properly dispose of your food, the good ole trusty trash can is the way to go. Proper toilet maintenance is important to maintain in order to avoid causing plumbing problems in the future, and stopping any habit of flushing down food will do just that. Read below to discover the dangers of what flushing food down your toilet could have on your sewer pipes.
The Dangers of Oils & Fats
Did you ever wonder why your parents had a random coffee bin filled with oils and fats under your sink? It’s because they understood the danger that oil poses on sink drains. Pouring oil down your kitchen sink is just as disastrous as flushing it down the toilet. Over time, those oils and fats will harden to the sides of your sewer pipes, as they are too thick to be completely washed away by your toilet water. Eventually, there will be so much buildup that your toilet will constantly overflow and stop working altogether.
It Will Take Forever to Break Down
We know that cleaning up leftovers can be a pain. In the moment, it may seem like flushing those leftovers down the toilet is a perfect way to eliminate extra mess. However, over time, those hard food scraps could take years to break down. Imagine your leftover spaghetti rotting in your sewer pipes for over a year – we can assure you it is not a pretty sight! If you have only done this a handful of times, your toilet drain should be okay, but over time your drain can become severely damaged and may even need to be completely replaced.
Certain Foods Slow the Flow of Your Sewer Pipe
It may be harmless to pour an old drink down the toilet, but specific foods can be much more damaging than others to your sewer pipes. Certain grains like rice and oatmeal are extremely absorbent and can continue expanding in your drain long after you have flushed them. Starchy foods like potatoes are also extremely hazardous to your sewer lines. The thin film of starch covering these potatoes can create a gelatin-like substance that creates a blockage big enough to slow the flow of your sewer pipes. Either way, flushing foods down the drain can have seriously consequences.
It Just Wastes Water
Did you know that every time you flush a toilet 1.6 to 5 gallons of water, depending on the brand and style you have, is used? Imagine throwing away 1-5 gallons of milk every single time you flushed your toilet, that is a crazy amount of water! In a time where many homeowners are trying to find ways to be sustainable, this is one of them. Instead of wasting perfectly clean water, continue to throw your leftovers in the trash. For proper toilet maintenance, be sure to always consult with your local sewer and plumbing specialist if you have questions about what you should or shouldn’t flush.
