A person is trying to unclog the drain of a sink using plastic disposable snake auger tool

Keep Your Drains Clear Year-round With These Top Tips

Having experienced professionals from Royal Plumbing to solve your plumbing issues is great. However, it is also helpful to know some drain-clearing tips you can do on your own. Use the following tips regularly, and you can keep your drains clean and free-flowing with no problems.

Regularly Run Hot Water in Your Kitchen and Bathroom Drains

Keeping your drains clear doesn’t get much easier than this! Oils and cosmetics like toothpaste and hand lotion can build up inside your bathroom or kitchen drains. The oils and other residues become traps that catch hair, food, and other particles.

This issue can cause your drains to narrow and become clogged over time. Regularly running hot water down your drains will liquefy or dissolve these substances and keep your drains running free and clear.

Use Natural Cleaners From Your Kitchen: Baking Soda and Vinegar

Aside from being a great household cleaner in general, vinegar’s acidic nature helps it kill bacteria and eat through oils, food, and other debris in your drains. For periodic drain maintenance, pour one cup of vinegar down each drain, let it sit for 30 minutes, and then rinse.

Grab some baking soda and salt from the kitchen cupboard if you have a slow or clogged drain. Boil 2 quarts of water, and combine one-half cup of baking soda and one-half cup of salt. Pour these down the clogged drain. Follow with one-half cup of vinegar, and let the mixture foam in the drain for one to two minutes. Then, flush the drain with the boiling water. The acidic vinegar, the baking soda’s foaming reaction, and the water’s heat and force will work wonders in dissolving the buildup and drain gunk to get your sink or shower draining freely.

Be Wary of What You Put Down Your Drains.

You might not realize the clogging potential of things that go down your drains. Coffee grounds, cooking grease, toothpaste, long hair in the bathroom, and even beard clippings can clump together inside pipes and cause clogs.

Instead, pour cooking grease into a disposable cup or can and throw it in the garbage instead of the drain. Used coffee grounds make a great addition to soil because some plants, like the Colorado blue spruce found throughout Brighton, love the acidity. Instead of brushing your hair or shaving over the sink, lay down a towel to capture fallen hair and keep it out of the drain.

Catchers and Strainers Are Your Best Friends

It is not easy to keep food, hair, oils, makeup, and other substances from getting into your sinks. However, you can purchase various strainers or hair catchers to lay over your drains or fit down inside.

These handy inventions keep food particles, hair, and remnants from bath products out of the drain. Just empty the catch filter as needed and avoid needing your drains snaked and unclogged.

We Give You the Royal Treatment

Backed-up drains can give off foul odors, and the whole family probably will tire quickly of taking turns using one shower because it is the only drain that still works. When you have a severe clog or another plumbing issue, you need the expertise of a qualified plumber. An incredibly stubborn clog or problems further down the pipe do not always respond to homeowner intervention.

At Royal Services Plumbing, we serve customers in Brighton, CO and the surrounding cities. Our experienced and professional plumbers have the knowledge and tools to get your drains clear, perform deep cleaning, and troubleshoot any other issues contributing to your drainage problems. We provide friendly, economical, top-notch service. We are your “5-star Plumbing Team!” Call us today and let us help fix your plumbing woes so that you can get back to living your best life.