You’ve been using your house all winter with very little time away. Unlike summer, winter months keep us home more, so our drains get used more, resulting in more clogged drains. What’s a homeowner to do? Clean those drains, just like you spring clean shelves and closets and sheds. Drains are no different, and cleaning them now pays off in fewer truly clogged drains later.
Cleaning Those Clogged Drains
Spring is a great time to do the cleaning that prevents clogged
drains throughout the year. If you have drains that are slowing down after a
winter with people more at home than ever, now’s a great time to do it.
The first tool is a pair of needle-nose pliers. Go to your shower
or bath drains and get a grip on the hair that always winds up clogging those
drains. One great tool to prevent this
is a drain hair catcher, a tool that has a small chain that hangs down into
your drain. It will likely have little shapes on it that help catch hair so you
just remove the tiny chain, and all the hair comes with it.
For that drain, as well as for sinks, you can then do a home
cleanout. First you assemble the tools:
baking soda, white vinegar, a cup measure, and boiling or extremely hot
water. You pour about a gallon of the
very hot water down the drain and let it work its way through. Then you measure out 1 cup of vinegar and set
it aside. Measure out about a half of a
cup of baking soda and dump it down the drain.
Pick up a drain cover with one hand, then quickly pour the vinegar down
the drain and immediately cover the drain.
The chemical reaction that follows should all be directed down the
drain to clean it properly. When it is
done, follow it with more hot water.