There are things every one of us does daily, like washing our faces, brushing our teeth, and showering, while other things only some of us do every day like washing dishes and cooking. All these activities are done in certain spaces like bathtubs or kitchen tubs using water. But, one thing that can stop us from doing these routines and that is clogging!
It’s not until your tubs clog that you realize how important it is to keep your drains clog-free, for that reason, we picked 7 handy tips for you on how to avoid blocking your drains.
Hair Everywhere
The most common reason for blocking drains in households is hair waste. Most of the time you don’t notice that while you’re washing your face or having a shower, some hairs may fall. Don’t underestimate what these small hairs can do to your plumbing system; in the long run, they can cause a serious drain clogging. There are smart ways to prevent that from happening; you can purchase a plug screen and place it on plugholes, which helps in collecting all the hair and soap waste. Also, you can collect any waste with your hand after using any tub if you don’t wish to use a plug screen.
No Grease, Please
If your kitchen tub can talk, it’s going to scream “don’t dump grease in here please.” If you usually throw leftover oil in your sink, you’re probably going to need a plumbing service very soon. Liquids like clear water, juice, and milk can be handled in a drain, but grease builds up in your pipes, especially in Wintertime, which can be a huge reason for blocked drains. A small tip is to dump the leftover oil in a plastic bottle using a funnel, or in old jars or cans and get rid of them as soon as they are filled.
Toiletries Don’t Go in Toilets
It’s known that what we flush in toilets are human waste and toilet paper, however, some people break the rules and use them as a substitute for trash bins. Flushing cotton buds, small empty boxes, or baby diapers in your toilet can definitely be a reason for clogging. These objects don’t degrade like toilet paper; they get stuck and can easily block your toilet.
The Other Side of Plants
You can make your garden full of plants, but you don’t want this greenery to affect your pipes or your plumbing system, because it can. Unattended gardens are likely to have roots looking for water or leaves growing roots beneath. These thirsty roots will go first thing in your drains searching for moisture, which can easily clog them and cause leakage. Therefore, you should make sure you water your plants regularly and remove all leaves from the ground.
Clogging Trees
It’s best to stay away from clogging plants like willow trees, oak trees, magnolias since their gigantic roots can break the pipes under your house. Zambezi plumbing professionals suggest that you don’t need to interfere when it comes to broken pipes; It’s best to consult specialists at this point. These jobs can cost you a considerable amount of time and money, which you could have saved if only you didn’t dare to do-it-yourself in the first place.
Rainy-Stormy Weather
Winter doesn’t surprise us with all its rain, snow, and storms, however, this weather could be a big reason behind blocking drains. Usually, huge floods come from heavy rains and they find their way to the drains, which aren’t designed for such an enormous amount of water. As a result, water will build-up in pipes and gutters causing blockage, and in some severe cases causing leakage. You can easily protect your gutters by cleaning them to prevent leaves from building up. Cleaning pipes and gutters can be a hectic work and you might even not do it right, that’s why you better consult a professional plumber to take care of this process.
Kids Like to Throw
Didn’t you face this situation before when your little ones lose their favorite toy and you search everywhere in the house and it’s nowhere to be found? Probably after this incident you had to call for plumbing service as your toilet got clogged. Yes! They threw their toys in there; “let them swim,” they thought. That’s why you should keep a close eye on your kids while they’re in the bathroom; don’t allow toys in there or at least make sure that the toy is under your sight.
There are extremely useful things you can do to fix blocked drains. You can seek nature’s help by some boiling water, baking soda, and vinegar since using these three items in order usually unclog drains. Other helpful solutions are caustic chemical cleaners that help in dissolving grease; plungers too can clear clogged drains with the up and down pressure technique. In more complicated scenarios, it’s better to seek the help of experts to avoid causing more damage.