Do you know how many times we’ve seen people pour salt down the drain, only to have it come back up again moments later? It’s a lot, and if you do that too – well, we’re going to help you stop. But before we explain why (and why not), let us explain one of the most common reasons for doing it: it stinks! Did you know that dumping excess salt in the garbage not only smells and stinks but also leads to an unpleasant odor? So yeah, there are lots and lots of reasons not to pour excess salt down your drain. Follow this guide to understand what exactly is happening when you dump that excess salt in your sink;
Why Pour Salt Down The Drain?
Pouring salt down the drain can have a number of negative consequences, including clogging up your drain, causing flooding in your home, and damaging your pipes. Not only is it unsanitary, but it’s also illegal to pour salt down the drain without a permit.
What Is Happening When You Pour Salt Down The Drain?
1. It Causes Overflowing Garbage Disposals
Salt is a mineral that attracts water, so when you dump it down the drain, it attracts the water in your pipes and causes them to swell up. When this happens, you’ll hear a gurgling sound and see bubbles rising up from your drain. This is not only annoying but can also cause your pipes to burst or crack.
2. It Can Lead To Flooding In Your Home or Business
If you don’t have a garbage disposal and pour salt down the drain, then it will cause your sink to overflow. This can lead to flooding in your home or business, which not only damages your property but also poses serious health hazards if there’s standing water on the floor for too long.
3. It Causes Clogging In Your Pipes And Can Cause Black Stains On Your Sink Or Floor
Clogging is another problem that occurs when you pour salt down the sink. When it mixes with other food particles, grease, soap scum, and hair in the drain, it forms a solid mass that blocks the drain completely and leads to an overflow of wastewater into your kitchen or bathroom flooring. Not only does this cause damage to your home but also creates an unsanitary environment for you and others living in your home or business premises as well as roaches and other insects that thrive in such environments!
4. It Damages Your Garbage Disposal
If you have a garbage disposal, then you know that it gets damaged quickly if you pour too much salt in it. Not only will it damage the disposal, but it can also cause other problems like leakage and flooding. The best way to avoid this is to never pour any excess salt down your sink!
5. It Can Cause Damage To Your Sink Or Faucets
Pouring salt down your sink can also cause damage to the sink itself and your faucets. When the water in your pipes begins to expand due to the presence of salt, it can lead to cracks in your sinks and faucets. This not only damages your home but also increases repair costs for yourself!
6. It Is Unsanitary And Illegal To Pour Salt Down The Drain Without A Permit
Pouring salt down the drain is not only unsanitary but also illegal without a permit from local authorities. Not only does this cause flooding and other problems for others living in or visiting your home or business premises, but it can also attract animals and insects that are attracted by standing water on floors or carpets! So yeah, there are lots of reasons not to pour excess salt down your drain!
Why Pour Excess Salt Down The Drain?
· It Gives You A False Sense Of Safeness
Adding salt to your sink may seem like a harmless way to keep things fresh and clean, but it can cause serious damage to your sinks and drains if you pour too much of it. You may have heard that pouring salt down the drain can prevent the buildup of bad odor and germs, but this is not quite true! In fact, doing so can lead to serious problems down the line, so it’s best not to make it a habit of pouring excess salt down your drain!
· It Is Not Necessary To Do So!
Putting salt in your sink might seem like a harmless way of making sure that things are clean and fresh around the house or office premises in which you live or work; however, there are other better ways of doing this too. These include cleaning with vinegar-soaked rags or using baking soda for better results! So save yourself a lot of trouble by avoiding salt altogether as it only leads to problems for you in the future!
· It Can Cause Damage To Your Drain Pipe And Sink
Pouring excess salt into your drain not only causes leakages and damage to the sink or pipe where the salt accumulates but can also lead to a foul smell coming out of your kitchen and bathroom sink! So if you notice a foul smell coming from your sink, or see the water level rising in your drains, then it could be a sign of salty water buildup in your pipes! In such cases, it is best to call a plumber who can clear the pipes for yo
· It Can Create A Bad Odour In The Kitchen
Pouring salt down sinks that are used for washing vegetables and other organic matter can lead to effluvium accumulation in the nearby drains. This in turn creates bad odors that emanate from the kitchen itself. This stinky buildup is not only offensive to guests but also leads people living around you to think that the smell is emanating from your house! So if you want to get rid of this problem, all you need do is pour less salt into your sinks when doing so, or else use baking soda instead!
· It Can Cause Damage To Your Drain Pipe & Sink
Besides causing a foul odor to emanate from the kitchen, excess salt in your sinks can cause serious problems down the line. If you pour too much salt into your drains, it can cause corrosion damage to your pipes and sink, resulting in leaking and serious water damage! So it’s best not to make it a habit of dumping excess salt into sinks that are used for food preparation.
· It Leads To Water Damage
Down the toilet drain, the same kind of problem arises when you pour too much salt into pipes. Furthermore, if a clogged pipe is filled with too much salty water, then this can lead to serious water damage that causes even more trouble like flooding in your bathroom or kitchen! So be careful while adding small amounts of salt down your drain and never pour large amounts of it; doing so will only lead to unnecessary inconvenience for you!
But Don’t People Do This Because They Think It’s Good?
1. It Does Not Work As Described In Old Legends
Our ancestors were known to use salt when cleaning dirty objects. They believed that the presence of salt in water accelerated the process of decomposition and thereby cleaned the dirty object faster. This belief has been passed from generation to generation, and hence, people are still today resorting to this method for cleaning. But this does not work as described in old legends. Adding salt to water does not make it more ‘decomposed’ than water alone!
2. It Is Expensive And Time-Consuming
The first thing that strikes you when you start doing this is that it is an expensive task! Soaking your things in salt water can be a time-consuming affair, which means that you might have to spend hours waiting for something to happen before you can resume your day-to-day activities! Instead of taking all this trouble and spending so much money on it, why don’t you just clean your washroom or kitchen sink with baking soda? The same will work better and will cost much less than the alternative!
3. It Can Scratch Your Dishes And Glasses
Now imagine if you pour salt directly into a glass or dish – what do you think will happen? Well, first of all, if poured directly into a glass or dish filled with liquid (like water), the result will be that all the liquid inside spills out onto your face while giving you an injury that will make you look like a villain in a movie! Secondly, if poured into dry dishes, the result will be that the dishes become scratched due to the presence of salt crystals. And in both cases, your dishes and glasses will not be clean at all!
4. It Is Unsanitary
Imagine cleaning your sink with water mixed with salt. This means that now the water you are cleaning your sink with is salty water which is not good for usage by anyone, especially considering the fact that dirty utensils are used in cooking and serving food to people all around the world! So be careful while using salt water for cleaning purposes.
5. It Leaves Bad Odor On Your Hands
As confirmed by many users of this ‘cleaning method’, it leaves a bad odor on their hands which makes them even dirtier than before they started it! So if you are trying to clean something, then do stay away from this method because it makes you dirty too! Moreover, if a substance is going to help you get rid of dirt, why would something leave behind some more dirt? Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?
Is It Really Good For Your Drain?
· The Salt Will Not Remove The Grease Stains From Your Sink
Salt is also not good for your drain or sink. If you think it will help you clean your sink and make it shiny, you need to think again. It will not do that because it does not remove grease stains from sinks or drains. If you try to clean a sink that has the remnants of butter or oil, the best way is to use baking soda which will remove such stains with ease while making your drain look super shiny!
· It Does Not Clean Out The Drain Pipes Of Your Sink
Have you ever heard of a clogged sink? Well, probably every house in America and Canada has at least one! And whenever someone tries to unclog a drain pipe of their sink, they have to try various methods which don’t usually work. In this regard, salt is no different than any other material used to clean drains but the good news is that it works only once in a while!
· Bacteria Resides On Salt And Hence Is Unsanitary
Now if bacteria resides on salt (and water for that matter), then what do you think about drinking something prepared using salty water or even washing fruits and vegetables using this method? This is why most vegetarians don’t use salt (or very little) when they boil anything because it gives them an unhygienic feeling. They either boil water separately and add the veggies later or salt the veggies before boiling them.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that pouring excess salt down your drain is a bad idea. It can damage your pipes, and it also increases the amount of salt that sits in your pipes, which increases the risk of damaging your pipes. And if you do dump excess salt down your drain, don’t feel bad because it’s not your fault. The only reason why people pour excess salt down their sink is that they don’t know any better. But don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of ways to keep your kitchen clean without pouring salt down the drain.
