Over time, you’re likely to experience slow draining sinks, tubs, or even toilets. Things like soap residue, food remnants, grease, and hair are often common culprits. Even though a clogged drain is almost inevitable, there are a few steps you can take to help prolong the clog.
Drain Cleaning Products
When you first notice that your sink or bathtub isn’t draining as fast as it used to, you may be tempted to turn to chemical drain cleaners. While this sounds like a quick fix, you could actually be doing more harm than good to your drains and even your health. Chemical drain cleaners come in forms like liquid and gel and work by chemically breaking down whatever is caught in your pipes, such as hair or food scraps. The problem with chemical drain cleaners is that they often will break down your PVC pipes as well. Don’t forget about the dangerous fumes that fill your home as well. These aren’t good for your kids or pets to breathe in. Instead, think about using a natural drain cleaner with a few ingredients you probably already have on hand! A popular homemade drain cleaner involves pouring 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain and then following it with 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Then, be sure to plug the drain while the reaction happens in the drain. You’ll want to let that sit for an hour while it works its way down your pipes. Finally, you will pour a small pot of boiling water down the drain to rinse away the clog. Since this is a natural drain cleaner, you can repeat this process as often as needed.
Bathroom Sink and Bathtub
No one likes taking a shower in standing water or washing their hands in a full sink. In the bathtub, you’re likely to experience a clog if you have long hair. If you’re not willing to part with your luscious locks just yet, think about investing in a bathtub hair stopper. This device fits inside the tub drain and collects any hair before it has the chance to make it down your drain. Then, all you have to do is clean the stopper out every so often! As for your bathroom sink, toothpaste frequently is the issue. Once dried, toothpaste turns hard and is difficult to dissolve. To help with this, you should be sure to run hot water from your faucet after brushing.
Toilet
Items such as cotton swabs, floss, nail clippings, and personal hygiene products should never be flushed down the toilet! Even baby wipes aren’t a good idea. If you are dealing with a clogged toilet, you should start with a plunger. If the problem persists, call Mattex to come assess and fix the problem.
Kitchen Sink
Kitchen sinks see a lot of action, especially if you have a garbage disposal. We rely on them to clean up certain kitchen scraps and clean our dishes. To avoid a clogged kitchen sink, don’t put grease, egg shells, and stingy foods down the garbage disposal. Be sure to run hot water and grease fighting dish soap down the drain to help clean and unclog your sink. The natural drain cleaner we mentioned above is a great option as well!