| About Drain Cleaners
Common hazardous ingredients
Hydrochloric acid, lye (sodium or potassium hydroxide), sodium hypochlorite,
sodium nitrate, sulfuric acid, trichlorobenzene, trichloroethane
Potential hazards
Irritant, highly corrosive
Use and storage
Use according to label instructions. Avoid adding a drain opener
to a toilet bowl that contains toilet bowl cleaners. Do not mix with
bleach. Do not allow to splash or touch skin or eyes. Cover
exposed skin and wear chemical splash goggles and heavy rubber gloves.
Avoid breathing vapors. Keep container lid tightly closed when not
in use and store in a locked cabinet or out of reach of children.
Disposal
Best: Use up or give away. Dispose of empty container in
the garbage.
Second Best: Hold for a household hazardous waste collection.
In Oregon, call 1-800-732-9253 to find out if there is a hazardous waste
collection event scheduled in your community, or call your garbage hauler,
local government solid waste department or the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality at (503) 229-5913 or toll-free at 1-800-452-4011.
Alternatives
- An ounce of prevention will save you pounds of trouble. Use
a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair. Collect grease
in cans instead of pouring it down the drain. Pour a kettle of boiling
water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up.
- Remove the trap and clean out the obstruction with a plunger and/or
a plumber’s snake.
- For clogged kitchen drains, pour ½ cup of baking soda, followed
by ½ cup of vinegar, down the drain. Cover drain and let sit
15 minutes. Rinse with 2 quarts of boiling water. The pressure
created by the heat of the chemical reaction is often enough to open a
clogged drain. A good preventive measure is to give your drains a
weekly baking soda and vinegar treatment. It will also keep them
smelling fresh.
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