Tips on How to Maintain Drains and Prevent Drain Clogging

If you live in North Shore, Chicago, you’ve obviously done well for yourself. Did you know that North Shore is considered one of the most highly educated and affluent areas in the entire United States? In fact, seven of its eight communities fall in the top 5 percent in terms of household income, nationwide. And yet, clogged drains continue to be a perennial problem.

Home plumbing systems require a routine maintenance, especially the drains. In simpler words, if you are properly maintaining your drains, you are cautiously preventing many health problems from entering your homes. Taking the concept further, deep drain maintenance prevents drains from clogging and the plumbing system from rusting. This is why it is important to hire the services of experienced plumbers in Chicago, such as Mike’s Chicago Plumbing, which offers 24 hours plumbing services in North Shore and the rest of Chicago.

It has usually been observed that chemical solutions, such as dissolving liquid openers, are effective only with minor clogs. In addition, overusing such chemicals for a major clog serves no purpose, rather they tend to stick to the pipes and damage them severely.

Here’s a look at some maintenance tips.

Materials to Avoid Spilling in Drains

The initial and crucial step in preventing clogging is to prevent certain materials from entering the drains, such as:

• Coffee grounds
• Leftover food particles
• Hair
• Soap scum
• Cooking grease and more…

How to Prevent Clogging

• Physical cleaning: Most of the times, physical cleaning of the obstructions is the best solution. Take adequate measures to cover your hands and face (if required) before handling or cleaning drains.

• Establish a cleaning routine: Dispose of all the dirt and scum or any obstruction only in the trash can. Do not drain it towards the clog. Keep a handy, preferably small, plastic container covered with a polyethene sheet to collect the greasy garbage.

• Use complementary instruments: Make sure you use drain covers in sinks and floor drains openings. Drains that should be covered properly and undergo supervised cleaning include the bathtub, shower, floor, kitchen sink, and toilet drains.

• Run hot water through the pipes: Make sure that you run hot water after a long day. Adding a pinch of baking soda or vinegar will be beneficial since they both are effective cleaning agents and powerful absorbents of bad odor too.

• Cleaning mineral deposits: Sometimes, you might find a white-colored deposit on the fittings or drain covers. These deposits are mineral buildups. They are removable if cleaning is done soon. If not, you will need a plumber to clean it up.

How to Deal with Foul Odor from the Drains

Usually, the traps have a water storage system to prevent foul odor from entering the home. Nevertheless, in some selected cases, if such smell does enter, simply drain a bucket of water into the pipes or traps in question. It will prevent the odor from entering into the house anymore.

Sometimes, despite following the tips and a cleaning routine, the drains still might get clogged! Do not deal with it all by yourself. Call for 24-hour emergency plumbing services in North Shore and the larger Chicago area as soon as possible.