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When it comes to taking care of the plumbing system in your home, there are lots of things you need to stay on top of. Making sure your drains are clean is one of the best ways to prevent problems that can lead to expensive plumbing repairs. However, keeping drains clean isn’t the easiest task for some homeowners, especially the ones who don’t know what they’re doing. If you don’t want to spend a bunch of money hiring drain cleaning services, here’s what you can do to keep your drains clean for as long as possible.
Toilet
The toilet is one of the most common spots for clogs because of all the paper products that get flushed. On top of that, however, people tend to flush a lot of other little garbage they may have with them in the bathroom, including things like cotton swabs, makeup products and more. If you don’t want to have a drain cleaning service clean your toilets constantly, you need to be careful about what you’re flushing.
As a general rule, toilet paper is the only paper product you should be flushing down your toilet. Toilet paper is designed to break down in water so it doesn’t cause clogs in your pipes, but other paper products aren’t. Make sure you avoid flushing cotton swabs, plastic products, makeup removers and any other garbage that you might have lying around in the bathroom if you don’t want to hire a drain cleaning service.
Shower
Your shower is another common spot for clogs to occur, and it’s also one of the toughest to do anything about. While some drain clogs are caused by things you’re intentionally putting down the drain, shower drain clogs are most often caused by a mixture of hair and soap that rinses down the drain as you shower. This is an especially big problem for people who shed a lot of body hair, as clogs can develop quickly.
The best thing you can do when it comes to preventing shower drain clogs is install a drain catch. A drain catch sits over the top of your drain and catches the mixture of hair and soap before it goes down the drain. Just remember, you or a drain cleaning service company will have to clean out the catch every once in a while.
Bathroom Sink
The bathroom sink drain is similar to the shower in terms of what’s likely to cause a bathroom sink clog. However, you have a little more control over whether or not you’re clogging up your bathroom sink because you don’t have to get hair in the sink. Unfortunately, many homeowners end up having to pay for expensive drain cleaning services because they shave their facial hair into the sink where it causes clogs.
If you want a simple solution for bathroom sink clogs, try shaving your face somewhere that isn’t directly over the sink. Aside from shaving, you shouldn’t have to worry much about hair clogging up your bathroom sink. If you need to shave in the bathroom sink, you can install a drain catch like the one you have in your shower to prevent hair from going down the drain and keep your drains in good shape for longer.
Kitchen Sink
Perhaps the worst place to deal with a clogged drain is the kitchen sink. Not only is the kitchen one of the most frequently used areas in most Oak Ridge, TN, homes, it’s easier to clog up your kitchen sink than you might think. As a homeowner, you need to know what kinds of foods you can and can’t put down the garbage disposal so you don’t have to spend your hard-earned money on a drain cleaning call.
In reality, you should put as much solid food waste in your trash can as possible. While your garbage disposal is designed to break down food, it’s not designed to replace your garbage can. Plus, there are certain foods that are particularly difficult for your disposal to break down. Specifically, you want to avoid putting things like egg shells, coffee grounds, and fats, oils and greases down your kitchen drain.
The Right Cleaner
For the most part, you shouldn’t do much to unclog a drain without calling a drain cleaning service. However, it’s important to know which drain cleaners are the best to use if you do need to get rid of a minor clog or speed up a slow drain. Most homeowners end up using the wrong drain cleaner, which can cause serious problems.
Chemical-based drain cleaners are the most popular because they’ve been around for a while and are made by big brands. Many homeowners simply reach for a bottle of Drano when a drain is clogged. However, these drain cleaners work via a chemical reaction that creates heat, which can damage your drain pipes. This is why most drain cleaning service experts recommend an alternative.
Enzyme-based drain cleaners are a great way to get rid of the clogs in your drain without you putting pipes at risk. Instead of working through a chemical reaction, these cleaners have enzymes in them that are designed to break down clogs in drains without causing any damage. You can find out more about choosing the best drain cleaner by asking a drain cleaning service expert which product to use.
Let Us Help
Owning a home involves a lot of hard work if you want to keep it in good shape. If you want your house to be pristine for years to come, you need expert help when it comes to your plumbing system. The good news is, My Professional Plumber has you covered if you’re in Oak Ridge, TN. When you need top-notch drain cleaning services, plumbing repairs or plumbing installation, just call My Professional Plumber at 865-238-7049.