Keeping your drain clean can sometimes be challenging. While we all know that certain things shouldn’t go down the drain, there are often items in our pipes that can cause clogs. In severe cases, you may want to call in drain clearing specialists.
Before you get to this point, you can do a few things to keep your drains clean.
Some Things Don’t Belong in a Drain
While most people know what you can flush in a toilet or what should go down the garbage disposal, there will always be aspects you can’t control. The most significant risks for clogs include hair in the drain, coffee and grease build-up in the kitchen, and soap scum. These things will build up over time and can cause significant clogs if you don’t take care of the drains. Instead of putting coffee grounds in the garbage disposal, you can use them as fertilizer for your plants. Use guards in your shower and bath to catch hair. You can also use it in the kitchen to prevent larger pieces of food or other debris from running down the drain. Never pour any grease down the drain. Instead, keep it in a container for future use, or dispose of it in the trash.
Prevention is Better than Cure
Regularly Cleaning your drains will help prevent build-up that can cause clogging. In your kitchen, you should focus on the garbage disposal. Using vinegar and baking soda is an excellent way to clear the drains, or you can also use salt that will scrape grease or build up. Put vinegar and water in an ice tray in the freezer. You can crush these in the garbage disposal, following with salt. Afterward, you can crush half a lemon in the garbage disposal for a fresh-smelling kitchen. You can use a bent hanger or a hair-catching brush in your bathroom to get any build-up out. When this is done, you can also use table salt with vinegar to clear smaller pieces of build-up. Using half a tablespoon of kitchen salt with vinegar will help. Let it sit for about an hour and then wash away with hot water. In fact, running hot water down the drain after every use is a good tip to prevent long-term build-up.
Be Careful of Store-Bought Cleaners
While they promise excellent results, store-bought cleaners often contain harsh chemicals that can damage your pipes. Most of these cleaners also contain lye as an active ingredient, which can cause damage to your eyes and lungs. Use store-bought cleaners with caution, and do so sparingly. Get the experts involved if you have drains that need a thorough cleaning.
Final Thoughts
Taking care of your plumbing and drains is essential, as large clogs and build-up can cause expensive damage. Using homemade cleaners is adequate, especially if you use them regularly. It’s better than store-bought cleaners, as it doesn’t use harsh chemicals that can damage your pipes or impact your health. Keeping your drains clean doesn’t need to be difficult, especially if you know which items should stay out of your drains and use preventative measures like guards to prevent hair and other larger items from getting in the pipes. Clean drains will even keep your home smelling fresh.
