HOW TO PREVENT KITCHEN SINK CLOGS: 101
As I’m sure you can agree, your kitchen sink gets quite the use out of it! From everyday hand washing, to cleaning those dirty dishes, your sink sees it all. && let’s be real, so does your drain! Now, I’m sure soap and water are the main things that may be going down your drain, but you know leftover food and greases still make their way down there! While small amounts can be managed, repeated occurrences can and will cause major problems over time, which you don’t want! Clogged sinks are some of the worst things you can deal with. When a sink is clogged, it’s deemed unusable. Water will start backing up and filling up your sink, and you won’t be able to run anything down the drain. Preventing this problem is easy by taking the necessary actions! We’ve put together a few things we think everyone should know about sinks/drains. As well as a few tips and tricks on what to do to prevent clogs and what to do when a clog does happen. drain cleaning near me
1. Avoid Dumping Food/Grease/Oils Down Your Drain
The most important thing you can do to avoid sink clogs, is to be aware of what’s going down the drain. When things get dumped down the drain, even small amounts, they build up over time eventually causing a clog/blockage. If only water is going down the drain, the chance of a clog is much lower than when we continually dump things down them. Keeping this in mind, make a plan for what to do with your foods/grease/oils moving forward! This way you know if there is a clog/blockage, it’s not from you disposing of things improperly and can confidently tell your plumber that’s not the issue.
2. Use A Sink Strainer
Another added step in making sure nothing major goes down your drain is to use a sink strainer when washing your dishes. This will catch any food debris left on your dishes when rinsing/washing them. Just dump the strainer when finished, into a trash or compost bin and place back into the sink for the next use! There are many different kinds of strainers out there. The stainless steel or silicone ones seem to work the best from what we have observed! However, any strainer out there will help you prevent a clog/blockage if used properly.
3. Clean Your Drain Often
Just by keeping up on your drain cleaning, you can help reduce the possibility of a clog/blockage. Now, please know that doing this isn’t going to necessarily prevent a clogged sink, but it will help make it less probable. Now, the real question… How do you clean your drain, safely? Running hot water down the drain after every use is a good place to start! This will help move any food or other debris that may have gone down your drain. It will also help melt any fats/greases that may be collecting in your drain. Combining the hot water with some baking soda, however, will be most helpful! The baking soda will not only help clean your drain, but it will help eliminate any odors coming from it. AVOID DRAIN CLEANERS. (See our other blog for more info on that!!) plumbing services near me
4. What To NEVER Put Down Your Drain
Here is a list of things that you should never put down the drain in order to keep your system running effectively. Yes, EVEN if you have a garbage disposal! -FOOD -FATS/GREASE/OIL -COFFEE GROUNDS -STARCHES (PASTA/RICE) -FRUIT PITS -EGG SHELLS -BONES -PAPER PRODUCTS -MEDICATION -CLEANING PRODUCTS
5. In The Event Of A Clog
Okay! So we’ve prepared you on how to maintain your system so it can run smoothly, buuut now there’s a clog! What do you do? The most valuable option is to hire a professional plumbing service to come assess the situation. An experienced plumber is better equipped and trained to handle these draining issues for a healthier plumbing system!