Drainage systems often get clogged with gunk. This debris builds up which can cause pipes to back up. There are some ways to prevent a lot of that from happening, though. In this article, we go over some preventative measures you can take to keep drains flowing right. That way you can avoid expensive repair costs coming from a backup.
Be Careful What You Send Down: Keep drains clear of grease, oil, coffee grounds, and hair. These things and things like them like to get stuck in your pipes and just sit there. Then more stuff gets caught on the gunk already there, and the problem gets bigger. Over time, it can block the water altogether, causing a backup. That’s why it’s a good idea to throw this stuff in the trash.
Keep Hair From Falling In: It can also be a good idea to use a drain cover in sinks and showers to catch hair. It’s much easier to stop it from going down in the first place than to remove them once they get there. Rember to clean it out after a while so that it doesn’t clog.
Homemade Drain Cleaner: Baking soda and vinegar followed by hot water make an excellent natural drain cleaner. Pour some baking soda down the drain followed by some vinegar, then let it sit for 5 minutes. After that, wash it down the pipes with some hot water. This process can break down clogs without eating the walls of your pipes like commercial chemical drain cleaners can.
Go Fishing: Use a coat hanger, crochet hook, or something similar on your drain to try and pull what you can out. Or, for your kitchen sink, while your disposal is off, reach your hand down the drain to try and get any solids out. You can also try removing the P-trap underneath the sink to clean out blockages. That can help the drain run like new.
