5 Tips to Avoid Clogged Drains

Everyone hates a clogged drain, yet they are very common.  It always seems that clogged drains rear their ugly heads at the worst possible time.  You are having a house party and suddenly, you have a clogged sink or a clogged toilet.  Whenever a clog happens, it is frustrating and inconvenient.  There are some easy, routine things you can do to  prevent clogs from ever happening.  The first way to avoid clogged drains is to avoid putting certain things down your kitchen drain such as grease, coffee grinds, potato peels, pasta and rice.  Even with a well-functioning food processor, food pieces may only get chopped up and washed down but they can then get caught in your pipes causing a clog that will eventually come back up.  Everyone’s first instinct is to use their food processor, even for “ok” items, but really, you should put as little through your food processor as possible.   Second, in the bathroom you should avoid having hair go down the drain and regularly remove any hair that does go down the drain.  Hair, mixed with soap and other residue will build up over time and cause major clogs. Third, one way to help prevent things going down the drain such as hair is to put a strainer over the drain that can catch hair and other particles.  With regular cleaning of the strainer it will protect your drains from major clogs.  Fourth, you should promptly deal with any slow drains.  Things like pop-up stoppers in sinks are handy but are also notorious for collecting soap scum and hair.  You should routinely clean these build up on pop up stoppers can slow your drain down and cause clogs.  A slow drain is a sign that a clog is forming and if you wait much longer, the problem could become a major one.  By promptly dealing with slow drains you can avoid major clogs.  Lastly, while there are chemical drain cleaning products, they are incredibly harsh and can even erode the inside of pipes and simply cause more problems.  There are simple ways to prevent clogs with household products you likely have on hand.  You should regularly rinse all your drains with hot water.  Additionally, you can pour a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain and then rinse with boiling water and this should help loosen and move things and help prevent more clogs.  By following these five tips and regularly maintaining your drains, you can avoid clogs and keep your house running smoothly.  For any major clogs you should consult a professional.  With a home warranty service, they will handle hiring a reliable professional to come fix any plumbing issues.  A home warranty service can take the stress out of handling home plumbing issues.]]>