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5 DIY Tips for Drain Cleaning

Messy Drain

The drain is an important yet often overlooked asset in your home as most people don’t engage in regular drain cleaning. If left unattended for too long, you invite an array of unpleasantries into your home; bad smells, harmful germs and bacteria, and in many cases an unpleasant visual! DIY pros and those now concerned don’t fret. Maintaining the cleanliness and overall health of your drain is made easy with our list of 5 do-it-yourself tips for drain cleaning!

  1. First and foremost: baking soda. There are many cleaners and quick fix options for sale, but baking soda is not only something that most have in the home, it’s also gentle on your skin and the environment. Simply pour a little down the drain and scrub gently with a moist scrubber.
  2. Sometimes the unpleasant scent coming from your drain isn’t due to anything on the surface. Clogs are not only an annoying cause of slow drainage; they can also cause a bad scent resulting from an accidental buildup of matter and bacteria. If this is the case, put a half-cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar and immediately block the drain with a stopper. Let them sit for 15 minutes to allow the chemical reactions to occur. Then remove the stopper and put plenty of boiling hot water down the drain. The hot water should carry away the loosened matter. If you have a double sink, do both sides separately while stopping both drains each time. If you’re looking for a quick fix, pouring a small amount of chlorine followed by water sometimes does the trick especially for a nasty clog.
  3. There are numerous opinions on the subject, but the truth is that keeping the amount of oil and grease you drain to a minimum is key to your drain’s cleanliness.
  4. Use drain screens to keep hair, soap scum, hard food, and other solids from making their way into the drain.
  5. On-going maintenance is the easiest way to keep your drains clean. Once a week, simply clean all sink stoppers, drain screens and drain surfaces and then pour boiling hot water down your drain.

Drains are put to work multiple times every day. Ignore necessary drain cleaning and maintenance and you’ll quickly learn how large of an inconvenience uncared for drains can really be. Use these 5 tips to maintain the long-term health of your drains and avoid creating potentially large health and plumbing problems later down the road.

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