A clogged bathroom drain can cause many headaches and issues in your home, especially if you’ve tried multiple remedies to fix it yourself. You’ve called in a plumber, and the’ve fixed it, so the drain in your bathroom now works like it did when it was brand new, but how do you keep it that way? How can you prevent another major drain clog from happening again? The products we use every day can create slime and grime in the drains of our bathrooms and cause issues with proper and quick removal of water. Here are the do’s and don’ts on how you can protect the drains in your Hamilton or Niagara homes.
Use a Drain Screen.
This little device looks like a miniature colander and is placed over the opening of any drain. It is meant to catch hair, grease and soap residue before it goes into the pipes and creates a clog. You can purchase these screens at any local home improvement store. They are not permanent fixtures, so they can be removed to be cleaned at any time. Any debris caught in the screen should be thrown in the garbage and not washed down the drain.
Don’t Put Everything Down the Drain.
While it may seem obvious that you shouldn’t wash everything down the drain, sometimes things we think are ok aren’t. We know that toilet paper, hair, antibacterial wipes, and facial tissues can easily clog your drain, but what about liquids? While it seems like liquids would be fine since they so easily wash down the drain, some liquids are harmful to wash down the drain, so always take caution to make sure what you’re washing away isn’t going to cause problems.
Paper towels, oils, dental floss, and q-tips should never be flushed down toilets as they can easily get logged, especially if your drains are already narrow.
Do Brush Your Hair Before You Shower.
This might seem odd, but most of the hair that comes out during a shower is actually hair that would naturally come out if it was brushed before you showered. In this case, you can actually take all the hair that falls out and throw it in the garbage instead of it ending up in your drain. Hair, over time, can ball up, or get caught in our shower drains leading to slow draining water, and eventually clogs.
Do Use Natural Unclogging Methods.
Once a month, or so, take boiling hot water and wash it down the drain to help remove any build-up that would be beginning to form. Additionally, you can pour about half a cup of baking powder down the drain every 3 or 4 months to keep the tougher residue from building up. You can even let the hot water run for a couple of minutes every time you brush your teeth as toothpaste can leave a build-up quickly.
If you notice a build-up or clog starting in one of the drains of your Hamilton or Niagara home, you can pour a cup of vinegar down the drain and follow it with some very hot water about 30 minutes later. The acid in the vinegar will help break down the grime and build-up on pipes before it becomes a more significant issue. Taking small steps now to keep your drain clear can help to make sure you don’t have a major clog in the future.
Do call a professional when you can’t resolve a problem on your own.
If you have a plumbing issue in your Hamilton home that requires professional services, contact Wentworth Plumbing today.