Drain clogs are a huge hassle. They can make necessary parts of your home’s plumbing unusable. They can cause unpleasant smells. They’re no fun to try to clear out. And maybe it’s not exactly true, but doesn’t it seem like they’re more likely to happen at the worst possible times?
The best way to deal with drain clogs is not to have them in the first place. How can you manage that? We’ll tell you about the most common things that get in drains and cause clogs. If you can prevent them from happening, you won’t have to unclog them.
In the Kitchen
- Non-Disposables in the Disposal: If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, it can be tempting to shove just about anything down there! But clogs can be caused—or the disposal can be damaged—by certain items. If it’s too hard to chew, like fruit pits, very stringy, like celery, or a starch that will keep expanding in water, like pasta, don’t put it in the disposal.
- Grease in the Sink: When you wash your dishes, there may not be a whole lot of grease on each one. And that grease will wash away easily in hot water. But when the grease from many dishes adds up, and it gets cold and solidifies, it can clog your drain. Wipe greasy dishes with a paper towel before you put them in the sink and you’ll cut down dramatically on this problem.
In the Shower
- Hair: It might come free from our heads quite easily, but then it remains a highly indestructible substance. It does not dissolve or wash away, and large clumps can build up in a pretty short amount of time. The solution is a mesh shower drain cover. The vast majority of the hair will be caught in it, and you can simply empty it into the trash.
- Soap Scum: This residue of undissolved soap can cake onto everything in your shower, and it’s quite capable of narrowing your drain pipes layer by layer until they clog. The drain cover mentioned above will help. But if your soap scum problem is severe, hard water may be contributing to it, and a water softening system may be the real solution.
In the Toilet
Nothing should go down the toilet except human waste and toilet paper! Make sure everyone in the house knows not to put anything else in the toilet: paper towels, “flushable” wipes, cotton balls, personal hygiene products, dental floss, or anything else can cause huge problems. If you have a flush-happy toddler in the house, consider investing in a baby-proof toilet lock to preserve your plumbing and protect your rubber ducks.
Preventative Drain Cleaning
There is one other way to avoid having these substances build up until a serious (and seriously inconvenient) problem develops. Consider having drain cleaning service in Suwanee, GA as part of your home’s routine maintenance. Since the vast majority of drain clogs are caused by gradual accumulation, having that cleared away once a year could help you lead a clog-free life forever.
To speak with a member of our team, contact DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today. Fixed, At the Speed of Life!
