Are you looking for tips for keeping your bathroom and kitchen drains clog free? Lakota Plumbing in Denver says a few simple steps can keep your drains open and prevent clogs.
Periodically pull up the stopper in the sink and the drain cover in the shower or bathtub and remove the gunk and debris. Rinse it and put in back in the drain. Sometimes you may need to gently use a bent wire to clean out the debris and hair.
Use a sturdy brush to clean out the garbage disposal or you can grind up a few cups of ice and some salt to cut the grease and other residue on the sides of the disposer. Rinse it with cold water and a half of a lemon or lime. This will help to deodorize it.
Remove the overflow plate on the bathtub and raise the pop-up assembly to reach the spring or rocker arm. Get rid of all the accumulated debris and rinse it.
Starting a compost bin can save water and energy and prevents clogged drains.
Don’t let children play with small toys in the bathtub and teach them not to flush toys down the toilet.
Don’t use any chemical cleaners. Many small clogs can be fixed with a good quality plunger or auger.
Using a bacteriological drain cleaner can help maintain all of the drains. A bacteriological drain cleaner that is biodegradable and non-corrosive will prevent damage to the plumbing system.
One of the best things you can do is to put mesh screens over or under all of your drains, including bathtub or shower drains. The mesh will catch hair, food particles, and other debris.
If you brush your hair before you shower, it will prevent hair from going down the drain.
A great idea is to wash pets outside or lay a wash cloth over the shower drain to catch the dog hair. If you use a washtub to wash your pet, you can just dump it outside, so nothing goes down the drain.
Use less detergent, shampoo and toothpaste.
Put as little as possible in the garbage disposal. Do NOT put grease or cooking oil, coffee grounds, bones, egg shells, pasta, potato peels, rice, bread, gum, or food stickers in your garbage disposal.
Don’t put anything but toilet paper in your toilet. Do NOT put hair, baby wipes, napkins, paper towels, any feminine hygiene products, cotton balls, cotton swabs, cigarette butts, dryer sheets, and cat litter.
Pour a little bleach into the sink drain. Let it sit overnight or for at least an hour and rinse it with water.
Pour dish washing soap into the kitchen sink drain, followed by boiling water, a little bit at a time to get rid of grease build up.
Pour at least one tablespoon of salt into the bathroom drain followed by 1⁄4 cup of plain white vinegar, and let it sit for an hour. Run hot water down the drain to clear the drain.
By using these tips for keeping your drains clog-free, it will save you from having to call a plumber. Lakota Plumbing in Denver advises prevention is always better than repair.