No one wants to have to deal with a blocked drain at their home or business premises; it can prevent you making use of your sink or bathtub at what could be the most inconvenient possible time, and that’s without even touching on the possibility of bad odours and hefty repair costs.
Really, then, it’s best to be proactive in how you manage and maintain your drains at your humble abode or workplace. Here are three proven (and remarkably simple) ways to do precisely that.
Invest in a drain protector
When we said “simple,” we really did mean simple! Drain protectors will set you back just a few pounds each, and – as Which? explains – are small, straightforward tools that you place over your plughole in the sink, bath, or shower.
Most of the things that could potentially cause your drain to become clogged up, the drain protector will stop before the material in question has a chance to reach your inner drainage system. Then, you can just pick up the drain protector now and again, and give it a good clean. The job’s done.
There’s one other thing to be mindful of, though – making sure the drain protector you buy is the right size for your plughole. So, be sure to measure the diameter of your plughole before you purchase one.
Avoid discarding everything down your drain
This might be the rule to dominate all other rules, when it comes to keeping your domestic or commercial property’s drains clear – a given material being able to physically go down a drain, doesn’t mean it’s a very good idea to put it down there!
In particular, we would urge you to refrain from putting the “big four” blockers down your drains – those being cooking grease, coffee grounds, hair, and soap scum.
In the case of cooking grease, you can dispose of it instead in your home or workplace’s rubbish bin, after collecting it in an old tin or jar. Coffee grounds, too, can be simply placed in the bin.
As for the hair and soap scum, having a mesh sink strainer covering the sink drain should help catch a lot of it, and we would also advise that you comb through your hair before having a shower, especially if your hair is long.
Regularly clean and maintain your drains
It’s unglamorous advice, but it’s also effective advice: as we touched on above, you really need to be proactive in how you manage your property’s drains, which will almost certainly mean regular cleaning. Inevitably, hair and other debris will gather on top of the drain over time, and even just removing this once a week can make a big difference to the health of your drains in the long term.
Much the same can be said of boiling a large pot of water once a week, and pouring half the boiled water down the drain – then waiting five minutes, before pouring down the rest. This can be a great method for helping to dislodge any lingering grease or debris within your drains that you might not even spot from outside.
Even when you feel you’re taking the best possible steps, of course, you can’t completely rule out the possibility of your drains needing more urgent and professional attention at some point down the line.
With our excellent reputation for drain repairs in Kent, our team at First Call Drainage UK can be on hand to help resolve the problem with your own clogged drain, so that you can rest easy once more.
Conventional cleaning methods involve manually clearing clogs away, which is messy and time-consuming or relying on harsh chemicals that can damage your pipes. Hydro jetting is an innovative, chemical-free way to clear your pipes of even the worst obstructions and clogs. It uses highly-pressured water to force any debris and clogs out from the pipe without the need for chemicals or manual labor.
partnered post • cc-licensed image by Cory Doctorow