6 Ways To Prevent Clogs In Your Drains At Home
Clogs in your drains can be very inconvenient and stressful. Not only does a clogged drain bothersome, but it becomes a big problem when left unattended. When this occurs, you might end up spending a lot of money on the repair and replacement of your plumbing system. Hence, it is important to take care of your drains in the kitchen, shower or bathroom. Although clogging can be a normal incident in your house, there are ways to prevent them. It is also important to identify the causes of the clogs so that you will know how to prevent such occurrences. While food is the main cause of a clogged drain, grease, pet hair and fur, and small objects can definitely cause clogging, and eventually forming a blockage in your piping. In such a case, you need to seek the assistance of a professional and reliable plumbing service. A plumber can easily remove the objects from your sink and pipes without causing damage. For minor drainage problems, there are essential ways to consider to keep your drains working and properly maintained.
1. Never Dump wastes in the drain
Food scraps and other substances can easily go into the drain and cause a build-up over time. Wastes like eggshells and hair cannot be broken down and when they slipped into your drainage system, there’s a possibility that your drain can become damaged, and worse, dysfunctional. Moreover, when these drains malfunction, dangerous pests, flies and other harmful insects may lodge into the drains. These pests carry infectious diseases that can harm human health. To eliminate the problem, always refrain from throwing any substance into the sink.
2. Rinse Drain With Soap And Hot Water
Another technique is the use of hot water mixed with soap to rinse the drains. Hot water can dissolve solidified greases and oil, pushing the oils into the drain. When greases stay longer in the drainage sinks, they accumulate more grease and oil and block the flow of water. Food scraps are also trapped inside the drain. Hence, with hot water and soap solution, you will liquefy the grease so that it can easily go down the drain. You will never have to experience inconvenience in your plumbing system. Furthermore, hot water and soap solution also remove unnecessary odour in your drains.
3. Rinse Sink With Baking Soda, Vinegar And Salt Mixture
Another effective solution is a mixture of baking soda, vinegar and salt. Together, your sink will become clean and free from oils, greases, food scraps and small objects. Moreover, this mixture is a natural cleaning agent that does not contain harmful chemicals. While this is safe to use, you are also protecting the health of your family. A lot of drain cleaners have a strong chemical that can harm the skin. Additionally, baking soda is a natural deodoriser and has disinfectant properties that eliminate bacteria and moulds from your sink.
4. Prevent Drainage Of food scraps By Installing A Strainer Or Sink Guard
If you don’t want to tire yourself from preparing the mixture, or heating water, you could always opt to install a strainer or a sink guard. This is very useful in shower drains, where hair can easily go into the drains. When this happens, your shower drain becomes clogged too. This is actually the first line of defence to protect your sinks. While the use of hot water is recommended at least twice a week, a sink guard can be used effortlessly.
5. Use Bacterial Drain Cleaner
In the case where the sink is already malfunctioning, the use of a bacterial cleaner agent may provide relief to your clogged sink. This cleaner has specialized bacteria that break down organic matter, thereby, preventing clogging. It is better to add the bacterial cleaner at night time so that you allow it to work. It is also important to take precautions when handling a bacterial cleaner.
6. Use A Plumber’s Snake Or A Coat Hanger
A plumber’s snake is a great tool to remove objects and organic matter that are stuck deep down the drainage system. To remove the clog, you need to disassemble the drain pipe and the P-Trap to reach down the clog. However, if you don’t have this tool, you can easily use your coat hanger as a substitute. Unfortunately, a coat hanger is not long enough to reach down the grease and food scraps that are trapped in the drain. Most of the time, a clogged sink produces a bad odour, thus, while you insert a plumber’s snake or a coat hanger, you can pour baking soda and vinegar mixture to remove the odour. Furthermore, prevent scratching the sink with a coat hanger as it might damage your drainage system.
In the case of severe clogging, you can always contact your local professional plumber. They are trained and have the right tools to fix your plumbing system in no time.
