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Most people have no idea just how often drains should be cleaned, and in fact, most don’t give their drains any attention until they end up with the problem of a blocked drain. Cleaning your drains should be done with regularity to avoid any problematic build-up of debris. Draining water is just as important as getting water into your home, so healthy drains are a necessity for any working plumbing system. Here at Coastal Drains, we would recommend you have a professional complete a drain inspection once every two years, just to ensure everything is working right.
I get asked this question a lot and my answer is as often as you can. Generally, I would suggest giving them a clean out once a week to ensure they are working to the best possible standard. But for those of you with extremely busy schedules, once a month is also sufficient. The main thing to remember is that it must be done on a regular basis. It is easiest if you incorporate drain cleaning into your regular cleaning schedule, so that it gets ticked off with other jobs, and you know that it is taken care of.
Here at Coastal Drains, we always recommend to our customers that prevention is better than cure. So, before we go on to discuss how to effectively clean your drains, let’s take a brief look at how to prevent drainage problems.
Effectively caring for your drains doesn’t need to be a whole ordeal. In fact, it is much simpler than people think. Keeping your drains regularly clean avoids calling a plumber to fix a blockage. Here at Coastal Drains, we highly recommend using drain traps and catches over your drains to help keep unwanted materials out of your pipes. These are especially effective in kitchen sinks and bathroom shower drains, two places that commonly have a lot of debris.
Dispose of all food items, paper towels and other debris in the rubbish bin. And never dispose of oil and grease down the drain as this is the most common cause of blocked drains in the UK as it sticks to the side of your drains and hardens, blocking your pipes over time. Prevention is the ultimate tactic for effective drain maintenance and effective cleaning is also part of this. Read on to find out our top drain cleaning tips.
If you are anything like me, you will like to clean your house fully once a week so that you stay on-top of the mess and dirt. When I clean my house, I like to ensure I tackle the drains as well. Drain cleaning can often be overlooked as unimportant or not necessary but once they start causing problems, you will regret having neglected them for so long. So, try to incorporate cleaning your drains into your regular cleaning routine. I would recommend cleaning your drains once a week, along with the rest of your house. But it can be done monthly, too. Below, I have written out how to clean your drains in each room of the house.
When cleaning the bathroom, it is extremely important you clean out the drains. Showers and bathtubs can easily become blocked with slow running or tepid water due to a build-up of soap scum and hair. Once a week, when giving the bathroom a good scrub, put on your rubber gloves, pull out the drain stopper in the shower and remove all the tangled hair, soap scum and other debris. Scrub the drain stopper with chemical cleaner and then rinse thoroughly. Carry out the same method with your bathroom sink as well.
When it comes to the toilet, be sure to apply toilet chemical cleaner and give it a good scrub before flushing. The chemical cleaner – applied weekly – will help to keep your bathroom drain’s clear of debris.
Top Tip: If you want to avoid using chemical cleaners, all natural cleaners are also an option. All natural options are especially preferred among parents of small children, lessening the risk of potential hazardous chemicals being swallowed by young children.
Your kitchen is often one of the dirtiest rooms of the house which is why it should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week. So, make sure you thoroughly scrub your kitchen and sink down as often as you can with a chemical or all natural cleaner. Again, install a drain guard to catch any food items, coffee granules or other food debris to avoid causing blockages. Remove the drain guard and empty all debris into the rubbish bin. Before reapplying it, make sure you give it a good spray and scrub down.
To clean the drain, pour a little bleach down, just a capful, and follow it with a kettle of boiling water. Alternatively, you could try a baking soda and vinegar solution as the baking soda will help to dissolve and break up any debris in your pipes. Boiling water, poured down drains regularly, is extremely effective in loosening debris and helping improve the flow-rate of your drains.
By following the steps above and cleaning your drains regularly, you should prevent drain blockages from occurring at all. The above-mentioned tips are all worth doing on a regular basis, whether as part of your cleaning routine or as a weekly habit, as they will help keep your drains clean and prevent any problems from happening further down the line.
For more information, please feel free to give us a call. Alternatively, if you have a drainage problem that you cannot fix yourself and you need the advice of a professional, give us a call today, we would be more than happy to help!