What is the correct way to handle bucket of dirty mop water?

Last Updated on December 1, 2021 by Samantha Morgan

One of the most important things to think about when changing your mop water is where to get rid of it. The most common place for this is to dump it into the toilet, however, if you live in an apartment building, this might not be ideal. Never pour it down your drain.

Did you know that the bacteria and fungi from your dirty mop water could proliferate and cause a clog? Other options are to pour it into a bucket or flush it in the sink. But what’s the best option?

In this post, I’ll recommend some.

Is Mop water dirty?

Yes, mop water is dirty. People always make use of specialized cleaning products while mopping floors. The mop touches hair, dirt, and also dead insects. No matter what type of mop you use, a wet mop, a sponge mop, or a dust mop, there is grimy water coming off it always.

The mop water contains dirt but and harmful chemicals in the cleaning products. This mop water may cause trouble for our health and the environment.

Where do people often dump the mop water?

People dispose of mop water, often down the toilet or the kitchen sink. It is terrible even to think. Pouring down the kitchen drain means there is a full possibility that it will house dirt and many bacteria.

Though you have disinfectant in the water, yet it is not safe to pour it into the kitchen sink drain. It is bad to wash food in the same sink that is just now drained with scary bacteria and hazardous chemicals.

Moving to a very important section of disposing of mop water. It is the toilet. Dumping mop water into the toilet seems to be the common way in the majority of homes. Everyone believes flushing the toilet is enough for the dirty mop water to pass through the sewer lines.

It may right now sound to be perfect, but it is not. The harmful chemicals you added to the water before moping now after dumping into the toilet reach the ocean and rivers, causing trouble for the environment and nature.

It is the reason some countries consider it illegal and also fine for such actions. Thus, before pouring mop water into the toilet, at least understand the chemicals in the cleaning product are not harmful.

Dangers of dumping mop water in the toilet

Clogged Toilets

Dumping the mop water in the toilet is a common practice, and it results in clogged toilets once in a few months or a year. Once the toilet is clogged is certain to make everyone crazy to face the ordeal.

It is because the plunger fails to work and there is a need for the rooter guy to clear the toilets line completely to the sewer and fix everything. It is expensive and frustrating.

Carry Small Plastic Bits

Dumping mop water includes small plastic bits or tampons lying anywhere down the toilets. These plastic bits, or for that matter, anything else goes down the toilet with the mop water.

It can be a small toy part of your child that got stuck in the mop head, or some small comb that fell in the mop murky water while cleaning the table. All these go down the toilet while dumping the mop water into the toilet. Again it results in clogging.

Plumbing Problem

Dumping into the toilet the mop water is seriously harmful. It clogs with dirt the pipes, and the dirt builds up in the line itself. With regular dumping of mop water, the dirt gets accumulated in the toilet pipe, and sooner or later, it clogs.

You will have to call a plumber to get the drain cleared. At times to check the blockage is on the upside or downside of the inspection port, putting on long rubber gloves and locating the blockage by putting your arm becomes inevitable.

It is a dirty job, and as someone does it, you have to pay what they demand. There is no room for a bargain, and this shitty job does not clear without human intervention.

Bacteria and Dirt

The biggest danger of dumping the mop water in the toilet is that the bacteria and dirt may stick to the toilet sides and multiply without your knowledge. 

Besides, the dirty mop water entering the sewer lines goes through treatment and is into the streams and rivers. It means the cleaning products you are using to keep your house clean are now into the environment and damage the entire environment.

Thus, to mop your house using a chemical that cannot treat you must dispose of the water elsewhere. For doubts about your area law, consult your local council. 

What Are the Options to Dispose of Mop Water?

• Dumping mop water in the toilet is best done by checking the cleaning product ingredients and choosing the one that allows you to pour it down.
• The other choice is the best. You may use eco-friendly cleaning supplies. However, if you want true eco-friendly cleaners, you can make your cleaner. It is inexpensive and easy to make, besides you know what you are dumping down the toilet. In this way, you save money and trouble.

Disposing mop water is challenging as it has harsh chemicals coming with the cleaning supplies. It means the mop water dumped into the toilet has unsafe cleaning products, and it reaches the river and ocean that may come later as a water source. At the same time, disposing of mop water in the backyard areas is also not a healthy option. It enters the ground directly.

The mop water already contains bacteria and dirt in lots. Even if you consider the mop water to be fine to flush it in the toilet, the cleaning product ingredients are not safe to go through the toilet.

Thus, using a mop with eco-friendly cleaners means you can dispose of the mop water down the toilet.

Wrapping Up

Knowing what is going down the drains is difficult. However, it is a must to take control of the mop water.  It will help if you are definite about the disposing solution being eco-friendly.

Thus, you should regularly clean your house, mop it using appropriate eco-friendly ingredients, and dispose of the mop water properly.