When you’re expecting company, whether for an afternoon or for a prolonged stay, you want your home to be welcoming and inviting, and for your guests to be completely comfortable. One easy thing to overlook until it’s too late is the state of your plumbing. Are your bathroom sinks draining as they should? Are there any odors or other issues? What about your shower drains? Are your toilets flushing as they should? By taking care of regular maintenance of both your primary and guest bathrooms, you can ensure that your home will always be ready for company.
How to Clean Drains
It’s vital to know how to clean drains, both to keep your home in good working order and to ensure that things go smoothly when guests arrive. There are a few things you can do on a regular basis to clean your sink drains so that you’re not stuck dealing with larger plumbing issues later. Sink, shower, and toilet drains all have their own particular issues, but once you know what to do, you’ll be able to clean them with ease.
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How to Clean Sink Drains
Regular maintenance will ensure that you don’t have a surprise sink clog just as company is about to arrive. To clean a sink drain:
Take out the stopper and clean it well, removing any hair, grime, or anything else attached to it. Set the stopper aside.
Baking soda and vinegar are the perfect non-toxic drain cleaner. With a ratio of one part baking soda to two parts white vinegar, pour the baking soda down the drain, followed by the white vinegar, pouring slowly and evenly.
Let the baking soda and vinegar sit in the drain for 15 to 20 minutes.
Pour at least a quart of boiling water down the drain to rinse it and get rid of any residue.
Place the stopper back in the drain.
The three advantages to this process are that it’s easy to do (which is great, since ideally, you’ll want to clean sink drains every week or two), it deodorizes the drain, and it uses materials that most of us already have in our homes.
How to Clean Shower Drains
Shower drains can easily become clogged with hair, soap scum, and other debris, so knowing how to clean shower drains can save you a lot of time and hassle later and ensure that your home is ready for guests. To clean shower drains:
Remove the drain cover and scrub it with either a mix of vinegar and water or a mold and mildew remover.
To clean the drains, use the same baking soda and vinegar method you’d use for cleaning sink drains.
Follow the baking soda and vinegar by flushing it with boiling water.
If you’re not on a septic system, you could pour bleach down the drain to clean it. Never pour bleach down drains if you’re on a septic system, because bleach can kill the bacteria vital to the septic tank’s functioning.
Reinstall the drain cover.
Repeat this process every week or two to keep the shower drain clean, clear, and odor-free.
How to Keep a Toilet Drain Clear
To keep a toilet drain clear, you’ll have to first pay attention to how you use the toilet day-to-day. Avoid flushing too much toilet paper at once, since this can clog the toilet. Never flush feminine hygiene products, wipes, or anything else.
Try these steps to keep the toilet drain clear:
Give the toilet a firm plunging to dislodge any solid matter in the drain.
Turn off the water to your toilet; then, flush it to empty the tank.
Pour a 1:2 ratio of baking soda and white vinegar down the toilet and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
After it has set, turn the water back on and give the toilet a flush. The baking soda and vinegar will loosen up any small clogs or deposits, and the flushing washes it all away.
Find Drain Maintenance Services in Your Area
In addition to the regular DIY maintenance outlined above, it’s a good idea to have a professional check your plumbing system on a yearly basis. We can pinpoint any potential issues that can help you avoid unpleasant surprises later. And, if you have guests coming and you need to handle some clogged drains before they arrive, your local Mr. Rooter is ready to help. Give us a call at (855) 982-2028 or request an estimate online.