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Drain Maintenance: How to Keep Drains from Clogging

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Prevention and regular maintenance are the keys to keeping your household drains from clogging. It’s much easier (and less stressful) to do small, regular preventative tasks than to deal with a clog later on. The good news: The process for how to keep drains clean will only take you a few minutes each week.

If you’re already dealing with a clogged drain, we also have some ideas for how to clear it. And, if all else fails, the pros at Assured Comfort are always here to help with your drain and plumbing needs.

How to Keep Drains Clean

Prevention is so much easier than trying to fix a problem later, so keeping drains clean in the first place is key. Here are some of the best ways to keep drainpipes clean:

  • Never pour grease or oil down your kitchen drain. Grease solidifies in the pipes and eventually causes clogs. It’s much better to pour grease or oils into a container and toss it in the trash or wipe oily dishes out with a paper towel before washing them.
  • Need to know how to keep hair from clogging your shower drains? Use drain baskets and screens to keep hair, lint, and other debris from getting washed into the drain.
  • Flush the drains by pouring a few cups of boiling water down the drain every week.

How to Clean Drains

Cleaning drains regularly is also vital for keeping drains from clogging. This can be done by obtaining a bacterial drain cleaner and using it according to the product’s instructions. Or you can make this cheap, easy DIY version that works for kitchen, bathroom, or tub/shower drains:

  1. Pour a half-cup of baking soda down your drain.
  2. Pour a half-cup of vinegar into the drain, then plug the drain and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
  3. After 15 minutes are up, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to flush away any debris that the baking soda and vinegar mixture loosened.

How to Clear a Clogged Drainpipe

But what if your drain is already clogged? No worries – there are several ways to unclog a drain. Usually, one of these DIY methods will work if the clog isn’t too stubborn.

Grab the Trusty Plunger

Plungers work well for dislodging clogs, as long as you know how to use one correctly.

  1. Place the plunger over the drain.
  2. Be sure that there’s enough water in the sink, tub, or toilet (use a different plunger for your sinks and toilets, by the way…).
  3. Start plunging with a firm and fast up-and-down motion.
  4. If you get some results but not quite enough, pour some hot water down the drain. Allow the hot water to sit for a few minutes, and then try plunging again.

Try a Snake or Barbed Drain Cleaning Tool

These flexible tools are good for getting down into drains and pulling out hair and other debris. They can be a little awkward to use at first, but they do the job as long as the clog isn’t too deep into the drain line.

Blast the Clog with Pressurized Air or Water

For clogs that are too stubborn for a plunger, pressurized air or water can be a good solution. The only danger with this is that if you have a stubborn clog, it might push the clog even deeper into the pipes, making it trickier to dislodge.

Use Chemical Drain Cleaners with Caution

Some people swear by these products, and if you’re truly desperate, they might be worth a try. However, if your home is on a septic system, you’ll want to choose a non-toxic drain cleaner instead. Drain cleaning products that contain caustic chemicals will upset the balance of bacteria in a septic system and make it less efficient, ultimately causing bigger problems later.

Turn to Professional Drain Cleaning in Atlanta, GA

If you’ve tried all of these things and your drains are still clogged or slow, give us a call. The pros at Assured Comfort have the tools, know-how, and experience to help with all your plumbing needs. Call us at (770) 464-5745[OUW9] or schedule service online anytime.

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