Steps You Can Take at Home to Prevent Drain Clogs

Drain clogs are never a fun thing. They make your water appliances unusable, send up gross backflow, and it’s just a pain to get rid of them. So, how do you stop them from happening? That depends on the drain, but in general the idea is pretty simple: don’t put things down the drain that can get stuck down there. Let’s take a look at some specific locations, and the things you can do to stop them from getting clogged.

Shower/Bathtub Drains

These drains get clogged less than other areas of the house, but it still happens often enough to warrant some precautions. The number one cause of shower and bathtub drain clogs is hair. One or two strands here or there is no big deal, but over time hair can catch in the drain and accumulate until it becomes a problem.

The first thing you want to do is check your drain periodically. Hair that makes it past the cover over most shower and bathtub drains often collects on the crossbars below. It may be gross, but you can just pull out most of the hair with your fingers if you spot it on the drain itself.

You can also try pouring boiling water down the drain every couple of months or so. This loosens anything that might otherwise be building up inside the drain. Run some warm water for a few minutes afterwards just to make sure that everything is cleaned out.

Sink Drains

Clogged sink drains are usually caused by a clogged garbage disposal. With all the junk that most of us put down there on a regular basis, it’s no surprise that it gets clogged sometimes. The best way to avoid a clogged sink drain is to be careful what you put down the garbage disposal. Never put grease of any kind down the disposal, as it can solidify and gum up the drain. Bones and other hard objects are a bad idea as well. As long as you’re careful, it should be fairly easy to avoid a clogged sink drain.

If you have clogged drains, call My Drain Company. We provide plumbing services throughout Glendale.

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