How to Keep Drains from Clogging

When you have clogged drains in your home, you may notice signs such as gurgling sounds, unexplained puddles in your yard, changes in water pressure, slow drains, and foul smell coming out of your drains.

What Causes Clogged Drains?

Some of the causes of clogged drains include food scraps, soap & shampoo, calcium & magnesium buildup, bad installation, broken pipe, toiletries, and more.

Here are some of the ways you can prevent clogged drains:

Care For Your Drains

Another effective way to prevent clogged drains is to schedule regular drain maintenance. Your drains work hard nearly every day of the year to eliminate wastewater from your home. So everything from soap and shampoo to food waste and minerals can accumulate in your drains, resulting in clogs. Having your drains cleaned by experienced plumbers on a regular basis can help to keep your drains clear.

Be Careful What You Pour Down Your Sinks and What You Flush Down the Toilet

To avoid drain issues, avoid pouring things like cooking oil, grease, coffee grinds, eggshells, household cleaners, and pasta down your drains. All these can cause build-ups in your drains and eventually clog your drains completely. Some of the things you should never flush down the toilet include baby wipes, menstrual products, diapers, condoms, dental floss, paper towels, cotton pads, bandages, hair, cigarette butts, and cat litter.

Install A Drain Guard That Can Catch Hair

Hair is a major cause of clogged drains in many homes. Once hair is flushed down the drain, it may combine with soap scum to form a dreadful clog in your drains. You can avoid this by installing a drain guard that can catch hair. Drain guards can be found in local hardware stores. You'll need to call a plumber to help you install a drain guard in your bathroom, bathtub, shower, and laundry room.

Another effective way to prevent clogged drains is to run hot water down your drains at least once every week. Hot water can clear out food waste, soap residue, and dirt trapped inside your drains.