In article ,
Frogleg writes:
|
| I wonder *how* your mother believes tea leaves 'clear' a drain. And of
| what. Obviously it can't be the wet leafiness, or she'd be throwing
| down celery tops and spinach. If it's supposed to be some chemical
| action, would tea be safe to drink? I don't fancy drinking dilute
| drain-cleaner.

Your stomach contains some quite strong drain cleaner, unless you
are on proton pump inhibitors - hydrochloric acid is used in a
similar strength for industrial drain-cleaning.

But you didn't want to know that ....

Tannin is a very effective bacteriostat, but I doubt that it would
do more than reduce smells. My guess is that putting tea leaves
down kitchen sinks DOES help with stopping them smelling, which
may be the source of her belief.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.