DIY: Keeping Your Drains Clog Free

It is easier to keep your drains clean and avoid blockages, when the chance of something besides water going down the drain is minimal. Therefore, we can suggest a few methods and everyday activities you can use to prevent issues in your plumbing. Implementing these good habits could actually save you time, money and worry.

How to Keep Your Plumbing Clog Free

Cover Your Drains
By placing a small mesh screen over the opening of your shower or bath drain, you can easily catch any hair or debris that would normally fall into the drain and cause a blockage. This method also makes the drain easier to clean, as all you would need to do is remove the layer of debris from the top of the mesh. Mesh screens can be placed below the usual drain cover, so that they are out of sight, but still effective.

Remove Loose Hair
Instead of letting all your loose hair fall into the shower drain, brush your hair just before you step into the shower or bath. The majority of your hair will then come off on the brush, which can then be collected and thrown in the bin, instead of falling into the drain.

Don’t Forget About The Dog
Your pet’s hair has the same effect on the drains as your own hair. Therefore, it is recommended to bath your pets outside. If this is not possible, place a cloth over the shower drain before bathing the pet, as this will help collect any loose hairs. If you have a place to dispose of the water outside, you can still wash your pet in a washtub in the bath or shower, and then empty the water outside to avoid any hair going down the drain.

A Drain Is Not A Bin
Keeping an eye on what you throw down the kitchen sink, into the garbage disposal, can save you a lot of grief and money in water and electricity. Rather create your own compost bin with the food scraps and other substances you would normally throw in the disposal. This way you can feed your garden and avoid any plumbing problems.

Educate The Family
Although it may seem logical to you, children may not understand the importance of maintaining your home’s drainage system. Therefore, it is vital that children are shown what is and what isn’t allowed to be flushed down the drains from a young age. It is also up to the adults in the household to ensure no toys or objects that could get down the drain are allowed in the bath.

Have Good Tools
In an emergency, you will want to have the best tools possible to sort out the situation as quickly as you are able. Therefore, it is good to invest in a quality plunger and know how to use it correctly.

Generally, our garbage disposal, toilet and other drains are not meant to handle the size, consistency or amount of what we put down them on a regular basis. Therefore, it is it is important to be mindful of what goes down your drains.