Most of us don’t worry about drain cleaning until our pipes become clogged. Certain substances can gather in our pipes and cause clogs. These are annoying by themselves, but if you have frequent clogs, they could build up pressure in your pipes and cause a leak. There are ways you can keep your drains clear with some simple drain cleaning practices and precautions.
Prevention is the Best Drain Cleaning Practice
The best method of drain cleaning is keeping certain foods out of your drains in the first place. Some items, like coffee grounds and eggshells, should never go down your drain. Even if you have a garbage disposal, these things don’t break down easily. Also, you never want to put grease or oil down your drains. The grease can solidify and cause a huge clog, while oil can mix with other particles in your drain and cause the same issue. Try to scrape as much grease and oil off your dishes as possible before putting them in the sink.
Also, after doing the dishes, run your hot water down the drain for about 20 seconds, or boil some water and put that down the drain with a squirt of dish soap. This will keep any grease from solidifying, and the dish soap will break down oil. Hot water is a very cost-effective method of drain cleaning.
Use a Drain Catcher
These are especially useful in the bathroom. Cleaning out hair from your drains is just gross. A drain catcher goes over your drain to catch hair or other types of particles that could clog your drains, such as exfoliants from your cleanser.
If you don’t have a garbage disposal, then these can help in the kitchen, too. Even if you do have a garbage disposal, it can only handle so much. A drain catcher can help your disposal not have to work so hard. Some types of food do not break down very well in the garbage disposal. A drain catcher can catch things, such as coffee grounds, so they don’t cause problems in your drains.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Another simple drain cleaning tip is putting half a cup of baking soda down your drain, followed by a cup of vinegar, and flushing that with hot water. You can do this once a month to help keep your drains clear. Alternatively, you can use dish soap and hot water; this is especially helpful for kitchen drains where grease and oil are more common.
It’s not recommended to use store-bought clog removers. Every once in a while isn’t harmful, but if you are using clog removers a lot, you could be damaging your pipes. Also, the chemicals in them are not safe. Instead of using more drain clog remover, you might want to call in the professionals at Team Rooter to get rid of your clog problems for good.
If you are using all of these methods and your drains still aren’t flowing properly, then give Team Rooter a call. Slow and clogged drains can benefit from a professional drain cleaning. Our technicians will get your drains flowing quickly again. Give us a call today!
