Clogged drains can be a major pain! They can keep you from cooking, from washing your dishes, from showering, or from flushing your toilet. They disrupt your whole day or your whole week.
And while sometimes a clogged drain is indicative of a much larger problem in your plumbing system, often the risks are directly correlated to steps homeowners take (or don’t take) to protect their homes and their drains.
Here are five ways to keep your drains clean and clear all year long.
#1) Scrape Your Plate
The garbage disposal is a fine invention, but people tend to think it’s more powerful than it really is.
The truth is it’s only really meant to handle small food scraps in moderate quantities. And there are some foods it’s not equipped to handle at all.
So head to the garbage can and scrape your plate just like your parents or grandparents taught you. It’s fine to rinse a couple of grains of rice or a few lumps of mashed potato down the drain, but you don’t want to throw half a meal down there.
#2) Keep Problem Substances Out of Your Drains
There are some items both your drains and your garbage disposal just won’t handle very well.
- Grease
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
- Fruit peels
- Fruit pits
- Corn husks
- Non-food items
- Pesticides
- Motor oil
- Cleaning chemicals
- Medicine
- Bones
While some of these substances are more prone to causing contaminants than clogs, they’re all dangerous and can all clog up your drains. You should also, as alluded to earlier, avoid large quantities of starchy foods like pasta, rice, bread, oats, or potatoes. Those scraps expand into a sticky paste that clogs drains with ease.
#3) Use a Drain Screen
A drain screen is such a simple little item, but it can solve so many big problems. It serves as an additional line of defense by catching food debris before it goes down your drains.
You can then scoop up the screen and dump the waste in the trash can where it won’t cause any problems.
It’s a $5 investment that can save you many hundreds of dollars in the future.
#4) Schedule Regular Cleanings
Over time, debris is going to get in your drains despite your best efforts. Your water could leave behind mineral deposits. Your soap could leave large quantities of soap scum. They’re like any other mechanical system. They need regular maintenance.
Scheduling a professional drain cleaning every 1-2 years, and doing so before there is a clog, is one of the best things you can do to ensure the ongoing health of your plumbing system.
#5) Schedule Regular Inspections
Sometimes, drains clog because of tree roots, rust, and other inevitable issues that are invisible and out of your control.
Scheduling an inspection at the same time you schedule your cleanings ensures you can catch small problems before they become big problems. It helps you gain peace of mind about your entire plumbing system, reducing the number of inconvenient, frustrating, and upsetting emergency plumbing calls you might have to make in the future.
Get Help With Your Drains Today
Want to schedule that regular cleaning and inspection? Already having trouble with your drains?