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5 Tips on Keeping Your Drain Clog Free

By April 7, 2016April 1st, 2023No Comments
keep your drain clog free, 5 Tips on Keeping Your Drain Clog Free

Unclog Your Drains

Clogged drains are messy and inconvenient but preventable. The most basic principle of preventing clogs is to be careful about what you put inside your pipes. Certain household disposable items are not safe for drainage, even if the garbage disposal is used. Here are our top 5 quick tips on keeping your drains clog-free:

Dispose of your cooking grease in the trash

Cooking grease should never go down your pipes or into your garbage disposal. If left in the drains, it will solidify and clog your pipes. Instead, let the grease cool, pour it into an old mason jar or coffee can, and toss it into the trash. If you don’t want to waste a container, pour the grease into a bowl, set it in the freezer, and let it harden. Scoop the grease into a plastic bag, then dispose of it in the trash.

Throw away or repurpose your coffee grounds

Similar to cooking grease, coffee grounds are also a bad idea when it comes to pipe drainage. Though coffee grounds won’t harm your garbage disposal, they accumulate easily inside the bottom of pipes and drains, causing major clogs over time. Throw them away, or better yet: use coffee grounds for gardening. Coffee grounds in fertilizer, compost, and mulch have all accelerated plant growth.

Run cold water after using your garbage disposal

Even food that is safe to run through the garbage disposal can accumulate in your pipes over time. Cold water prevents food particles from attaching to the inside of pipes, so an easy way of preventing build-up is to run cold water through the sink after each use.

“Flushable” wipes are not flushable

Though some wipes and feminine products advertise themselves as “flushable,” do not trust this false promise. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies has reported on the fortune that cities across the country are spending each year to replace pumping equipment ruined by “flushable” products. If city industrial equipment can’t withstand the destruction of “flushable” products, your home drainage system is at risk. Do not flush these products; dispose of them in the trash.

Baking soda + hot water = clean pipes

To keep your drains clean and smelling fresh, simply toss a handful of baking soda down the sink, followed quickly by hot water. The baking soda is an adsorbent for foul odors, leaving your drains clean, fresh, and clog-free.

While these quick tips will certainly help prevent future clogs, if you already have a mess on your hands, Lowery Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning is here to help. We offer professional plumbing services on the South Plains and Eastern New Mexico. Call us at (806) 741-0519 for more information.

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