Soon your home is probably going to be full of holiday guests using your bathroom and kitchen, often without your supervision. The last thing you want to be worried about is your plumbing so as your Chandler plumber, we want to give you some tips on avoiding drain clogs during this busy time of year.
Your Garbage Disposal
- Grind food with a strong flow of cold water. Throw in some ice cubes, too, to clean the blades. You can also grind citrus peels to freshen it up.
- Cut food into small pieces for grinding.
- Potatoes are a popular holiday food but don’t put too many potato peels down the garbage disposal at once as the starches in the potatoes will turn into a thick paste and could cause the blades to stick.
- Remember–and remind guests–of the items that should be kept out of the garbage disposal:
- cooking grease, corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins, artichokes, pasta, rice, large animal bones and coffee grounds.
Your Bathroom
- Provide only normal two-ply toilet paper in your bathrooms.
- Don’t offer flushable wipes as these can often cause clogs despite claiming to be flushable.
- Remove any objects from around your toilet area to avoid anything accidentally falling in.
- Remind young guests about the proper amount of toilet paper to use.
- Check your bathtub stoppers every three months for hair and buildup of biofilm (a mixture of bacteria, food particles, soap residue, and body oils that hardens as layers begin to build up and lead to a clogged drain) and see if the stopper needs to be replaced due to wear and tear. Once a week, fill the bathtub half way to three-fourths full (while the stopper is in the drain) and then pull out the stopper. The weight and volume of the water will fill the pipe and will flush the drain line.
- As an on-going preventative measure, use our exclusive product, Bio-Ben, on a regular basis. This eco-friendly, active digester will eat grease and proteins to keep your drains clear for years.
Follow these tips and your drains should run well for you this holiday season. If you need an inspection, clean-out or any other service for your drains from your Chandler plumber, contact us. (602) 273-1740