.1).1909121145550.jpg)
When you’re a homeowner, there are many items on your to-do list to help keep your home in tip-top shape. However, some things go overlooked, such as taking preventative measures to help keep your drains clear. And although it might seem like a simple, straight-forward task, sometimes it’s far from it. If you’re looking to avoid a significant plumbing problem down the road, here are some of the best tips to help keep your drains clog-free!
Invest in a Bathroom Trash Can
Towels? Check. Toothbrush holder? Check. Soap dispenser? Check. Trash can? Negative. Believe it or not, many residential bathrooms are without a trash can. And while this might seem perfectly fine to some homeowners, it leads to this question: where can you discard of trash and other loose ends?
Whether it’s a tiny piece of paper or the last few drops of toothpaste, all of these items can cause a clog if there is an attempt to discard them in your drains. However, with the help of a trash can, disposing of them properly will be the perfect way to keep your drains clean and fresh!
Get a Drain Guard
One of the most unsettling sights for any homeowner is seeing hair caught in their shower drain. Whether it’s a few strands or an accumulation of hair, it’s never pleasant to see these “sheddings” at the bottom. Now, looking at the bigger picture, if hair accumulates at the drain, and it hasn’t been cleaned out in quite some time, there’s a chance that it can not only cling to the walls of your drainpipe, but it can also get intertwined with various soap and shampoo residue, which can lead to a pretty severe clog.
Now, the best way to prevent this from happening, or lessening the hair that goes down the drain, is to invest in a drain guard. These little mesh coverings are relatively inexpensive and can usually be found at a variety of retailers, such as your local dollar store. Once you have set the drain cover in place, it will help catch any hair or debris that come towards the drain.
And the most significant part about a drain guard? This little gadget is super simple to clean! All you have to do it remove it from the drain, bring it to the garbage can, loosen the debris within, and then you’re good to go — it’s as straightforward as that!
Get an Animal Guard for Your Drainage Pipe
Small animals like small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and more can wind up stuck in your outdoor pipes. The best way to prevent them from getting inside, whether it's because they're seeking shelter or smell food is to install an animal guard. Not only will this protect the wildlife living near your home, but it will also help protect your pipes from excess damage caused by a frightened animal scratching around inside.
Bathe Pets Outside
If you’re the owner of a fur baby, then this one applies to you: it’s best to bathe your pets outside (when applicable, of course)! Unlike the texture of your hair, animal fur can be a bit denser, which can cling to pipe residue and create a clog.
Now, as mentioned earlier, it’s best to bathe your fur baby outside when the weather is much warmer — but when the colder weather rolls in, continue to bathe your pet indoors! When washing a pet indoors, a drain guard will come in handy. This will make it much simpler to not only protect your drain but to help rid of any stray pet hair that may wash away in the tub/shower!
Toss All Cooking Grease Away
Do you like to cook? If so, how often do you find yourself tossing away cooking grease and/or oil at the end of every culinary session? If you do, where do you typically discard of it? If you happen to dump it down the drain, then that’s a recipe for a plumbing disaster.
When hot, cooking grease is usually in a liquid form — until it cools down; then it dries solid. Knowing this, if you were to try to dispose of it in your sink drain, the grease would cool once it comes in contact with your plumbing pipes, making it harden and narrowing the opening of the pipe. Now, fast-forwarding, if you continue to dump it down the drain, it will create a pretty severe blockage — which will then need the assistance of a professional plumber to fix and handle.
To avoid a drain-clogging nightmare, dispose of cooking grease in an old tin can or container, such as a mason jar. Once it cools and hardens in the container, take the grease-filled vessel and toss it in the garbage. This will not only help keep your drain clear as can be, but it will also help keep your drain smelling fresh and clean!
Call Us Right Away if You Experience a Plumbing Problem!
At Griffin Mechanical, LLC, we offer affordable, reliable service that you can trust. No matter what the plumbing problem may entail, our team of professionals can help get the job done in no time. Call us today at (615) 502-3030 to learn more about how we can help!