Some of the best cuisine requires a little bit of greasy cooking. Some people may not call bacon cuisine, per se, but it’s delicious nonetheless. Unfortunately, the leftovers can cause major septic issues inside pipes and within your septic tank. Grease clings to every possible pipe wall and crevice, eventually building up into potential blockages. By simply throwing grease, oils, and fats into the trash, the overall health of any septic system is greatly improved and preserved.

Grease is often a byproduct of food preparation. As can be expected, the food itself can also cause septic hassles, some even more disastrous than clogging oils. Certain vegetables, for example, can wrap themselves around various mechanics such as the disposal blade, obstructing the drain. Some examples are rhubarb, artichokes, lettuce, celery, and other fibrous, stringy vegetables.

Expanding foods such as pasta and rice can often morph into a blocking headache. Tossing your leftover spaghetti into the trash would probably be a better decision. Likewise, items like egg shells and coffee grounds have been known to tangle with the blade and get lodged in the trap.

The food segment of this article could very well end here. Regrettably, some homeowners lack the common sense to avoid the worst: fruit pits, seeds, and bones. You may chuckle at the notion, but many home garbage disposals have been damaged by extremely hard food leftovers. Apricot, peach, and cherry pits are the worst offenders, not to mention leftover bones. We’d like to think these damages are by accident, but it’s always best to mention the worst – just in case.

The kitchen sink isn’t the only gateway to septic misery. Additional sinks, toilets, and drains can all accept potentially hurtful substances. For instance, a mudroom sink may look gritty and tough, but the pipes meet up in the same place as the kitchen. The lack of such knowledge has led to homeowners emptying unwanted motor oils, anti-freeze, paints, solvents, and other dangerous chemicals into the sink. Even bleach and anti-bacterial soaps can be seen as possible toxins.

Granted, chemicals and toxics aren’t quite chicken bones, but homeowners are strongly advised against pouring them down the sink. Why? Well, septic systems are constructed to deal with organic waste. One way they complete that task is through bacteria. This bacteria breaks down organic waste, lengthening the time between pumping sessions. Due to accidental chemical additives, some homeowners opt to replenish their septic system with good bacteria.

Sanitary wipes, diapers, and cat litter are just a few solids that should never enter your drain. The unfortunate part about common sense is that it’s not all that common. As a result, solids and garbage are tossed down the drain, harming far too many septic systems.