No More Drano: 5 Habits That Will Prevent Your Bathroom Drains from Clogging
A clogged drain means more than a repulsive view; it also wastes time. Are you tired of waiting five minutes for tainted water to fully drain every time you shower or brush your teeth? If so, you have more options than the old Drano bottle. Drano certainly works, but its chemicals damage your pipes over time. And truth be told, pipe damage will only intensify your clogging problems down the road.
Instead, establish habits that will keep things flowing freely in your pipes. Be willing to invest a little time now so you don’t waste it fixing your pipes later.
- Use a Hair Stopper
Hair might just be the number one cause of clogged pipes—at least for the ones in your shower. Ideally, your drain is already a good hair stopper because it has holes to filter out hair from the water. But everyone’s drain is different, and you might not have a filtering system at all.
If so, invest a few dollars in a hair stopper and insert it into your drain. Hair stoppers have small enough holes to prevent long hairs from entering your pipes. They’ll make sure only water goes down the drain. Just make sure you clean the stopper out regularly so it doesn’t get bogged down.
- Keep Trash in the Trash
A lot of drain clogs occur because we try to get away with using them for trash. Don’t flush or wash down heavy paper products, food (you’d be surprised how many people try this one!), pet dander, or pets (ahem, like your dead goldfish), to name a few prominent examples. Hair, shampoo clumps, and toilet paper alone will be all your drains can handle.
- Flush It Out
Whenever you use your drains, keep the water running for a minute after you’re done with it. When you brush your teeth, for example, you might not see toothpaste clumps in the sink anymore, but they’re still trying to make their way down your pipes into the sewage system. So use hot water to wash down clumps, hair, etc. and to get things moving in the pipes.
- Clean It
Drano might harm your pipes, but other cleaning supplies will help. Every so often, put a half-cup of baking soda and a half-cup of vinegar down your drains without washing the mixture down with water. Let it sit for about 15 minutes so it dissolves anything clogging the pipes, and then wash it down with warm water.
Bleach will get the job done too. Pour some bleach down your drains and leave it to sit overnight to give it enough time for dissolving. In the morning, wash it down with warm water.
Regularly cleaning your drains will prevent buildup from getting out of control and plugging up your pipes.
- Use a Snake
When in doubt, get out your tools and be willing to do a little dirty work. Every few weeks, run a snake through your pipes. This will ensure you push through any buildup that has been lingering in them, causing clogs. If you need help finding the right tools or simply prefer a professional to work on your drains, plumbers from Rapid Rooter Plumbing or a similar company near you can come to your home and provide assistance.
Ideally, you’re taking preventative measures like running hot water and using hair stoppers every day. But your drains might need extra help from time to time. Be willing to put in that effort. If you take the time now to keep your drains clean, you’ll save time—and stress—from repairing them later.