When left untreated, clogged drains can cause problems for your household, including backups in water drainage and foul odors, and can damage plumbing systems. The best way to maintain a fully functional plumbing system in your home is to prevent clogged drains from developing in the first place. Continue reading to learn more about plumbing tips to prevent clogged drains, and if you still need assistance, contact us to help with your kitchen plumbing.
Keep Drains Clear
The best way to keep your drains clean and prevent clogging is to limit what you put down the drain. Instead of putting food, coffee grounds, and grease out of the drains, dispose of them in the trash. For grease, place it in a sealable container and place it in the trash or drop it off at a recycling center.
In bathrooms, cover the drains with a mesh screen or designed catcher to trap hair before it goes down the drain. These drain covers allow water to flow through while catching hair. You could also place a washcloth over the drain to catch hair and prevent soap scum from going down the drain.
Additionally, watch what is flushed down the toilet, because toilets are only designed to handle human waste and toilet paper, and anything else could cause a clog. Items such as dental floss, household waste, and feminine hygiene products should be tossed in the trash and not flushed.
Keep Drains Clean
Routine cleaning can help keep your drains free of clogs and should be done weekly. To clean a drain, pull out the stopper in the sink, remove debris, and rinse the stopper before reinserting. In the shower or tub, remove the drain stopper, clean it, and clean the drain using a hair-catching brush.
It is also recommended to flush your drains weekly by filling the tub with hot water and then allowing it to drain. Or you can let hot water run down the shower drain for a few minutes after every shower.
Hair and debris can collect in your shower or tub drain, and to help keep this under control and prevent a clog, it is recommended to clean your drain deep once a month. To deep clean the drain, remove the overflow plate and raise the pop-up assembly. Remove any hair or debris and clean the drain’s assembly before replacing it. Using a non-corrosive and biodegradable bacterial drain cleaner monthly helps keep drains clean year-round.
One more tip to help keep your drains clean is to use baking soda and white vinegar to clean the drains routinely. Pour one-half cup of household baking soda into the drain, followed by one cup of white vinegar. Allow this to sit for about 10 minutes before pouring a bucket of hot water down the drain. Repeat this process as needed to clean and disinfect the drain.
Things to Never Put Down Your Drains
Kitty litter
Coffee grounds
Eggshells
Grease
Fats
Oils
Expanding food, such as rice, oatmeal, and pasta
Flour
Dough
Fibrous fruits and veggies, such as pumpkin and corn husks
Produce stickers
Cotton balls
Paper towels
Feminine hygiene products
Paint
Products claiming to be flushable, such as baby wipes
Preventing plumbing clogs from occurring is the best way to maintain your home’s plumbing system while avoiding nasty clogs, foul smells, and other problems clogs can cause. Taking additional steps to keep drains clean can help prevent drain clogs. However, if you find that you still have clogs in your drains, call for plumbers in Delaware County, PA to help. Our plumbers at Graceta Plumbing LLC are ready, experienced, and prepared to help free your drains of clogs and help with any other plumbing issues your home may have. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
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