How to Prevent Blocked Drains

For most people drains are an area of our homes that are commonly neglected until it becomes apparent that there is an issue. Everyday materials such as food waste, tissue and hair that travels down the toilet or plug hole can block your drains. In order to prevent this from happening in your home, why not check out our top tips for the best ways of maintaining your drains.
Clear Drains
It is advisable to place a filter over the plug hole in your kitchen sink to catch any remnants of food that may otherwise end up in the drains. Filters are relatively cheap and easy to install as they are simply small mesh discs that rest over the plug hole to catch any residue material, so that you can then simply transfer this into the bin. Similarly, when washing your hair be sure to dispose of any loose hair into the bathroom bin rather than simply washing it down the plughole.
It is a little trickier to keep the soil pipe clear as it is required to ensure the sanitary removal of waste and tissue. However, your toilet should not be used in place of a bin to dispose of other items like cleaning wipes for example, so be sure to make use of the bathroom bin for other such items.
Drain Maintenance
You can easily maintain your system by simply running hot water down the drains on a regular basis. If you have any issues with a blockage then this can also help to dislodge any materials that may have become ‘stuck’ to the walls of your drains.
If you do find that your drains are still blocked, try pouring a cup of bicarbonate of soda mixed with a cup of vinegar down the offending drain and leave for a few minutes before flushing this solution through with hot water. This helps both to clean your drains and also neutralise any unpleasant odours.
For more information on maintaining your property, please see our previous blogs, 6 Tips for Keeping Mould off Bathroom Ceilings and Fixing Squeaky Floors from Above.