Are you cooking a special meal this holiday weekend? Or maybe you’re ordering food to go this year. Either way, there’s always a chance for clogged kitchen drains, toilet back-ups, or clogged main sewer lines if you aren’t careful with what you are allowing to go down your drains. To help you avoid the expense and inconvenience of these types of plumbing problems, we’ve compiled a list of a few tips:
- Use a sink strainer to keep food from going down the drain.
When you are finished cooking (or cleaning – as in the case of bathroom drains), place a sink strainer over your drain to collect debris and prevent it from going down your drain. - Don’t pour grease down your drains.
As tempting as it is to do while you are busy cooking, don’t pour grease down any of your drains. Grease, fat, and oil congeal into a substance that absorbs anything you put down the drain and eventually causes a clog that blocks it. To avoid this, pour your cooking fats into a can that can be resealed and disposed of in the garbage. - Put leftover food in the trash or compost heap, not the garbage disposal.
Many foods can clog your drains and immobilize your garbage disposal blades. These include potato peels, pasta, eggshells, corn husks, rice, bread, bones, fruit pits, fibrous fruits and vegetables, and coffee grinds. Always dispose of them in your garbage, not down your drains. That is not the intended purpose of garbage disposals.
- Avoid using chemicals.
Instead of using a chemical drain cleaner, try using a plunger. Cover the drain with the plunger bell so the edges seal, then push in and pull out, forcing water up and down the pipes. If the clog is in the sink, run at least two inches of water before using the plunger. - Clean your drains regularly.
Pull out the pop-up stopper in your bathroom sink, remove any debris in the drain, and rinse the stopper before reinserting it. Remove the drain stopper from your shower or tub drain and use a bent wire or hair-catching brush to remove hair and other debris.
FLOHAWKS CAN HELP
We know that clogged drains and other plumbing problems can often present a challenge and additional stress. These issues are often avoidable but when they occur, they should be handled quickly and professionally. Get back to enjoying your family and friends, call FloHawks and our team will take care of your plumbing issues. Use our convenient online scheduling tool to schedule your appointment or call us today at (800) 356-4295.
