You are supposed to pull the plug in your sinks or tub and the water magically disappears, right? When you pull the plug and the water just sits there, you might even look at it and wonder what is going on. If you are not careful about what is sliding down your drain with the water, you may find yourself staring at a sink full of dishwater that refuses to go down the drain. Your drains can clog up just like your own arteries do if you don’t take the proper precautions.
Greasy Dish Water
Have you ever just reached in and yanked out the strainer? When you do this, you are allowing all of the food particles and clumps of grease to flow right down the drain. If the dish water has gotten cold, the grease will have started to congeal. Guess what? Those nasty clumps of grease are going to get stuck in the drains curves and walls. The grease will even snatch particles of food as it goes by, making the size of the drain smaller and smaller over time. The strainer is meant to catch all of the gunk before it can collect inside your drain and create a clog.
Denture Adhesive
If you have dentures and use denture adhesive gel, you know how sticky it is. Do you clean your dentures, pull of the remaining strips of adhesive and let it wash down your drain? Do you soak your teeth overnight and then dump the water down your drain? If there are bits of the adhesive floating in that water it will secure itself to the drain walls like a piece of chewing gum. If you have to pull clumps of adhesive from your dentures when you clean them, toss the adhesive pieces into the trash, not the sink.
Dog Hair and Dander
Anyone that owns a long haired dog knows that their hair goes everywhere no matter how careful you are. If you don’t give the dog a good brushing before a bath, you are washing all of that loose hair right into your drain. Strands of the dog hair will get caught and twist around each other, creating a very messy clog in the drain. Keeping your dog brushed and groomed will help alleviate this issue. Use wire mesh strainers in your drains, if possible, to collect your furry friend’s hair.
Small Children Playing in Water
A small child is a drains worst enemy. They do not realize that the keys or toys they just tossed in the toilet will cause a clog. They just like to watch it disappear! A child that is being potty trained also needs to be taught the appropriate amount of toilet paper to use. Teach them to throw their toilet paper into a waste can instead of the toilet to avoid any clogs in the toilet or the drain.
It’s also a good idea to teach small kids what kind of toy is appropriate to take into the bath tub with them. The child may think it is fun to watch the tiny toys circle around the drain, but you won’t find it fun when the tiny toy clogs your drain!
