There is not a homeowner in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that would not want to eliminate drain clogs forever. Unfortunately, that is not realistic. Clogs will appear in drain lines from time to time, even at the most maintained houses. However, what you can aspire to, is preventing as many drain clogs as possible. And that starts with knowing what causes drain clogs and how to eliminate these hazards from your home’s drains.
Kitchen Sink Drain Clog Prevention
The kitchen sink was never designed to swallow all the leftover food and waste generated in the kitchen. All of the food waste that you rinse down the drain in the kitchen needs to find its way to the trash can. And in particular, there are some items on the worst offender list that you need to be incredibly diligent about keeping away from your kitchen drain, including:
- Coffee Grounds
- Eggshells
- Veggie Peels
- Bones
- Fat
- Grease
- Used Cooking Oil
These items are sure to create a nasty clog if washed down the drain, so be sure they get to the trash can instead.
Bathroom Drain Clog Prevention
Hair and soap scum are the two biggest challenges for the sink, shower, and tub drains in your bathroom. Of course, there is no way to eliminate soap scum unless you stop bathing. But you can eliminate the loose hairs that constantly get snagged by the soap scum residue and create clogs. The secret to removing loose hair is as simple as a small mesh screen over the drain.
Placing a drain screen in all of your sink, tub, and shower drains will capture all the loose hair before it enters the drain and becomes part of your next drain clog. These devices are very affordable and can be used for years with proper cleaning. To be extra safe, be sure to brush your hair before bathing to remove any strays that might sneak past the drain cover.
Toilet Clog Prevention
Unfortunately, many homeowners think that their toilet drain is indestructible because of its challenging job. But that is far from the case. This essential fixture is only designed to handle toilet paper and human waste. Anything else is going to create a nasty problem. Most toilet clogs can be traced back to one of just a few simple mistakes:
- There is no substitute for toilet paper. Never use any other paper product in its place.
- The toilet is not a trashcan. Never flush any trash, dental floss, hair, or other items other than TP and human waste.
- More is not always better. Limit the amount of toilet paper per flush. If a reasonable amount of paper did not do the job, flush and then use more. A softball-sized wad of toilet paper will choke your drain line.
If you have read this information a little too late, call 612-340-1444 to schedule an appointment with the licensed plumbers at Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains. Our pro will get the clog removed and can provide you with additional helpful tips to avoid future drain clogs.
