The drain in your sink is plugged. What are you able to do about it? If you’re like most people, you reach under the kitchen sink and pull out a jug of Drano to clear the clog. But is this really the best course of action? Probably not. For those of you who are interested in doing more than just postponing dealing with the problem, here are a few drain cleaning tips to keep your water flowing smoothly:
To see what’s causing the clog, there are different ways of dealing with different types of blocked drains. The most common reason that a drain becomes clogged is because there is hair in the drain. This is particularly true for shower drains but may occur in sink drains as well. A drain stick with barbs on the side can be run into the drain to collect the hair. This same solution won’t work if you’ve got something, such as candle wax, that’s adhered to the sides of your drains. Knowing what solution to use requires that you know what’s causing the clog.
Find some simple tools. You can’t do a job correctly if you don’t have the right tools to do it. And you don’t want to wait until you have a clogged drain to go out and buy what you need. The aforementioned drain stick should be a common household item. Get one that’s smooth and one with barbs. A small wet/dry vacuum is also a good item to have in the kitchen closet. And of course, every bathroom should have a plunger.
Start with organic solutions. Don't pour chemicals like Drano down your drains, try out a solution that’s based in natural ingredients. A strong vinegar-and-lemon solution might do the trick if you just have some build-up that’s caking the sides of your drain.
One of the easiest things to do is to prevent them from getting clogged. Use a strainer to catch hair so that it doesn’t get caught in the drain. Run a natural solution down the drain on a bi-weekly basis. Stop problems before they occur. At the other end of the spectrum, don’t assume that you can take care of everything yourself. If you’ve dug out the hair, run the solution and dislodged gunk with the wet/vac and you still have a clogged drain, you need to call a plumber. You don’t want to do damage to the pipes that make your home run smoothly!" the sides of your drain.
A major thing that you can do to clean your drains properly is to prevent them from getting clogged. Use a strainer to catch hair so that it doesn’t get caught in the drain. Run a natural solution down the drain on a bi-weekly basis. Prevent problems before they occur. At the other end of the spectrum, don’t assume that you can take care of everything yourself. If you’ve dug out the hair, run the solution and dislodged gunk with the wet/vac and you still have a clogged drain, you must call a professional. You don’t want to do damage to the pipes that make your home run smoothly!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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