Cleaning Tips - Unclogging Those Drains



Posted: Thursday, April 07, 2005

by
Helpful Home Ideas

One of those small annoyances of life, is wanting to do something in the kitchen or bathroom sink, and you find that it won’t drain. That’s when a little preventative work or consideration, really pays off.

Screens for your drains are not only a time, but money saver as well, especially when you end up needing a plumber. A screen will catch the hair and bits of soap that accumulate in the sink drains used by your family. Those are the major culprits when it comes to a blocked drain, but there can be other causes, and regular maintenance can help to avoid those, as well.

People often think they can pour grease down a drain if they flush it with hot water afterwards. But grease will cling, and doesn’t always go all the way down the pipe, ending up in bends and congealing there. It’s a good idea, whether or not you have a “slow" or stopped up drain, to clean them once a month by pouring a gallon of boiling water down your sink and tub or shower drain.

Another good tip, is to use a cup of baking soda, followed by a cup of vinegar. Not only does the foaming action help to dislodge minor clogs, it makes your drains smell fresh. This simple, organic cleaner is preferable to harsh chemicals, which can damage brass, steel and cast iron.

If you have a clog in the sink or tub, try using a plunger first. If that doesn’t help, try a “snake", the coil of flat wire used by plumbers to thread down through the pipes and manipulate to break up whatever has caused the blockage. To avoid this kind of problem in future, clean once a month with the boiling water, and/or baking soda, and make sure that you remove the trap once every few months to clean it as well. And if your drain has one of the pop-up stoppers, be sure to unscrew that and clean it at least monthly.

For more cleaning tips please visit us at Helpful Home Ideas.
This Article has been viewed 1,566 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.