Maintaining Your Kitchen and Bathroom Drains
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As a responsible homeowner, you probably know that it’s equally crucial to keep those parts of your home that you can’t see in just as good a shape as the parts that are visible. One of those important parts that you can’t see is your plumbing system. If you don’t properly maintain it, all sorts of issues can occur, ranging from leaking pipes and clogged sewer lines to sediment buildup and blocked drains. One of the most important things you can do to prevent some of these issues from occurring is to keep your kitchen and bath drains in good working order. Here’s what you need to know.
Keeping Your Kitchen Drain in Good Repair
If you’re like most households, you make heavy use of your kitchen drain. You use it to wash your hands, wash dishes, and do food preparation. You might even have a garbage disposal you use to get rid of organic cooking waste. However, this heavy use can easily clog up the drain over time.
To prevent this from happening, you should avoid pouring grease or oil down the drain. Instead, you can dispose of this by pouring it into a bottle and throwing it away. Also, don’t throw any food waste down the drain unless you run the garbage disposal, and never throw anything made of metal, glass, or plastic into the drain.
In addition, you should clean the drain around once every two weeks. You can do this with a simple, homemade drain cleaning solution. Boil a kettle of water and pour it into the drain. Then pour in half a cup of baking soda and let it work for about 5 minutes. Next, mix a cup of vinegar with a cup of hot water and pour it into the drain. Cover the drain with the plug, and wait for five to 10 minutes. Finally, flush the drain with another kettle of boiling water. To clean your garbage disposal, you can fill it with ice cubes, cover it, and run it for a couple of minutes. The friction from the ice cubes will remove any grease and sediment buildup. Then rinse the drain with boiling water.
How to Keep Your Bath Drain in Good Working Order
Your bath drain might not be as heavily used as your kitchen drain, but it can still get clogged, especially due to hair and soap. You can prevent this from happening by cleaning it once a week. If you have a bath drain with a stop, remove the stop and clean it. Then use the same method as above to clean out the drain itself. You can also use a commercial drain cleaner, but be sure to wear protective gloves and follow the instructions to the letter.
Of course, it’s always possible that despite your best efforts, you can experience a clogged drain or other issue. If you can’t resolve the issue yourself, you’re best advised to call a licensed plumber as soon as possible. Remember: Paying a little bit of money for some repairs right now can save you a lot of hassle and expenses instead of waiting until the issue gets out of hand!
