Your septic tank is a receptacle for all the wastewater that gets run down your drains. That includes everything from your washer, your bathtub, and your dishwasher. All of that goes into your septic tank and then ends up going into your leach field. Because of the way the tank works, you want to make sure that you are careful about what you wash down your drains. If you get a lot of stuff that is clogging up your tank, you can end up with a huge mess and a large repair bill. So, what are some guidelines about what you should and shouldn't run down your drains?

Only Toilet Paper

When it comes to your bathroom, the only thing that should get flushed down your toilet, other than waste, is toilet paper. Ideally, the toilet paper you use should say that it is septic safe because it is thinner and will break down inside your tank a lot faster. That is good for your tank and can help prevent clogs in your septic tank. Wipes that say they are flushable don't break down easily. It is the same with menstrual hygiene products. They don't break down in the septic tank, and they will clump up and attract more stuff and turn into a huge mass of material. 

Minimal Food Scraps

You want to make sure that you are minimizing how much food scraps and debris that you are running down your kitchen sink. That includes things like oils and greases. For oils and greases, you should pour or scrape them into a metal or glass container. When the oil or grease is cooled or solidified, you can just throw them into your trash can. Make sure that you don't put hot oils and greases in your trashcan because it could melt the trashcan and people could get hurt. For food scraps, you should gather up as many as possible and then either throw them away or put them in a compost pile. You can empty food dishes over a strainer or colander. The colander will let the liquids through but catch all the food scraps so that they don't get caught in your pipes or septic tank. 

If you are doing everything you can to take care of your septic tank, but it is still having problems, you need to call for help. Call a septic repair service near you and have them send a tech out to your house. They can check everything out and tell you what is going on.