The dreaded drain clog. They can happen in the kitchen or the bathroom, shower or sink, toilet or dishwasher; bottom line, they’re a pain in the pipes. Our friendly SLO plumbers have come up with a list of drain cleaning tips to conquer those pesky clogs or – better yet – prevent them from happening in the first place.
Swap the Chemicals for Enzyme Cleaners
If you’ve got a clog or a slow-moving drain, try enzyme cleaners rather than chemical decloggers. Any plumbing supply outlet and most hardware stores will have high-grade cleaners for this purpose, although they are a bit pricier and much safer than chemical drain cleaners.
The enzymes convert the oils, fats, and other biological compounds into different elements like oxygen and hydrogen. While they are a bit pricier than Drano, they make up for it with peace of mind that you aren’t using harmful chemicals that can erode your pipes over time and have a negative impact on the environment.
Use a Snake or Plunger
The plunger or snake are the tried-and-true methods of drain cleaning. They may take a little elbow grease, but more often than not, these methods will do the trick.
A plunger or snake – or both – are tools everyone should have on hand just in case.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
This household remedy is the anti-chemical de-clogger. Safe and easy on your pipes, mixing baking soda and vinegar form a common cleaning solution that can be used for many things – unclogging a pipe being one of them. The bubbles it forms will scrape away grease that could be causing a clog.
Flushing your drains with this mixture is also a great regular maintenance habit to get into as cleaning light build-ups of grease is easier than a big clog.
Stop the Smells
Many nasties go down our drains, from hair to grease to, well, you name it. So, they may start to smell a little off over time. Smells can also be a sign that there’s an excess buildup in your drain, so even if it’s flowing smoothly now, a clog might be on the horizon.
All you need to do to get rid of those nasty smells is grab some of that vinegar!
Here’s what you do: Flush your sink with hot water, but never boiling as that can damage your pipes.
Pour a half cup of very hot vinegar down your drain (boiling it is smelly, but boiling vinegar also helps rid your home of floating odors).
Rinse with cold water, this will help solidify any grease that may be causing small blockages and allow them to be carried away.
Pour another half cup of very hot vinegar into the drain again to wash away blockages and leave your drain smelling fresh!
Turn to the Pros
Of course, not all drain clogs are created equally, and sometimes it’s necessary to call in the professional SLO plumbers at Griffin. It’s also a good idea to have the plumbing pros inspect your drain lines to diagnose bigger problems.
As always, we’re a call or click away.
