Your home’s drains need to stay clear of debris so that used water and waste can travel freely down to your sewer line and out to the city sewer system. When something blocks wastewater from flowing down your drain pipes, that dirty water will start to back up into the pipes it came from… and eventually into your plumbing fixtures. Additionally, if a clog builds up enough pressure, it can even create a leak.
Below, we’ll share some practical tips to help you prevent clogs from ever happening again in your home.
1. Invest in some drain guards.
Drain guards (also known as drain protectors) are your first line of defense against clog-causers like food and hair. You can purchase them in a variety of shapes, materials, and sizes to fit your sink, bathtub, and shower drains, and they’re relatively affordable. The TubShroom is a particularly popular option for bathrooms.
2. Keep grease out of your kitchen drain.
Before washing cookware and dishes, remove as much of the grease, oil, or fat into the garbage first to prevent it from going down the sink. These substances solidify and stick to debris in your pipes, which eventually forms clogs.
3. Flush your kitchen drain with hot water after washing dishes.
Even if you get rid of most of the grease on your pots, pans, and plates, little globs will still end up down the drain while you wash your dishes. Prevent them from coating your pipe walls by running steaming-hot water with a few squirts of dish soap down the sink drain for about 20 seconds. This will loosen the grease and help it make its way through your plumbing system.
4. Limit what kinds of scrubs and exfoliants you use.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping up a skincare routine or enjoying an at-home spa day, but avoid putting products down your drains that contain exfoliants that won’t dissolve. Scrubs with coffee grounds are especially terrible for your plumbing. If you use a bath bomb, make sure to put a drain guard that will catch large particles (like flower petals) while your tube drains.
5. Use hydro jetting to clean up dirty drains.
If your home has frequent clogs, it could be because there are decades of grease, sediment, and debris caking your pipes' walls, making it easy for blockages to form. There could even be trees roots growing into your sewer line and causing problems. If this is the issue, it makes sense to hire a plumber to perform hydro jetting on your drains. Hydro jetting involves running a high-powered hose through your plumbing system that blasts jets of water along the inside of your pipes. The water is forceful enough to clear away even the toughest buildup and makes your pipes' interiors like new.
Contact The Rooter Works Plumbing and Drains at (614) 412-3324 or online for top-rated drain cleaning in Columbus.
