If you want your drains to work properly, you need to watch what goes into them. Some things should never be disposed of down the drains including food waste, hair, feminine hygiene products and garden debris.
Pouring boiling water down the drains regularly helps break down any sticky debris and keeps your drains flowing freely. This also helps prevent clogs. For more information regarding plumbing services, sites like https://www.fixitrightplumbing.com.au/leak-detection-melbourne/ have a lot of resources.
Keep Your Sink Clean
Clogged drains are a major pain to deal with, and they can cause significant damage to your pipes. They can also be detrimental to your health by allowing microbes that irritate respiratory problems to grow and flourish. Moreover, stagnant water can rot floorboards and entice pests like mosquitoes and drain flies to your home.
One of the biggest causes of blocked drains is food scraps and grease. Grease solidifies into a sticky lump that sticks to other debris and causes blockages. To prevent this, always pour cooking oil and fat into a can for disposal later.
Another common culprit of clogged bathroom drains is hair and soap scum. This is particularly a problem in homes with hard water. You can prevent this by regularly cleaning your p-trap and drain with hot boiling water or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. You can also invest in a shower drain protector to catch loose hairs and other debris before they enter the pipes.
Don’t Dump Leftover Food
Most of us know not to dump bacon grease down the drain, but many other types of food scraps can also cause serious plumbing problems. Fatty foods like cooking oil, pan drippings, and gravy can clog your pipes because they don’t dissolve in water. They can also cling to the edges of your pipes, collecting other food waste and other debris as they flow by.
Fibrous foods like egg shells, carrot peels, corn husks, and potato peels are not good friends with your drains either. They can cling to other foods and create a sticky, stringy mess that is difficult for your disposal to break down.
Flour is another problematic food item to avoid dumping down your sink. It won’t break down in water, so it will clump together and form a dense paste that can block your drains. Instead, save your coffee grounds and use them to fertilize your garden. They’re rich in nitrogen, calcium and magnesium, making them an excellent natural soil enhancer.
Don’t Flush Hair Down the Drain
Hair is one of the most common causes of drain clogs. It doesn’t break down in water like toilet paper, and can build up into large clumps that block drains over time. Fortunately, many of the same methods used to melt away food clogs also work for hair clogs, and plunging and baking soda and vinegar can sometimes dislodge even the most stubborn hair clogs.
If these methods don’t work, a snake may be needed to break apart the hair clog, but this is better avoided whenever possible by taking steps to prevent clogging in the first place. To do this, clean your shower and bathroom sink stoppers regularly. This may take a little effort, but it’s much less expensive and eco-friendly than a call out for emergency plumbing services to unblock a drain line clogged by hair!
Also, be careful not to flush facial tissues and paper towels down the drain. Despite what the packaging might say, these paper products are not designed to dissolve in water and can get stuck in your drains, as well as cause other plumbing problems. Instead, keep a waste bin in the bathroom and dispose of these items properly.
Don’t Use Chemicals
Whether you have a blocked kitchen drain, toilet or bath, there are ways to avoid having to resort to chemical cleaners that can damage your pipes. Mostly, clogged drains are caused by a build-up of solids over time so it’s important to be mindful about what you put down your drains.
For instance, cooking oil and grease should not be poured down the sink. They will eventually solidify and stick to any debris that makes it down the drain. Instead, keep an old can on the side of your sink to collect any used cooking oil and dispose of it regularly in the bin. Similarly, wet wipes (even those labeled as flushable) should never be flushed down the toilet as they don’t degrade and can cause serious blockages.
If you do experience slow draining water or gurgling sounds from your sink, try using a drain snake to clear the blockage. Be careful not to use too much force as you can damage the pipe.