If you notice a funky smell coming from your pipes and drains, this could be a sign of a serious clog or backflow. You must regularly clean your drains and pipes to prevent this issue and keep wastewater and gunk out of your home.
Once you notice a problem with your home’s drainage system, you should use natural cleaning solutions like baking soda and vinegar or flush hot water down your pipes.
For more serious drainage issues, you can hire a professional plumbing service as these experts have advanced tools like jet sprays and snakes to remove even the toughest clogs. Here are some reasons why cleaning your drains and pipes is necessary and how you can go about it:
Why Cleaning Your Drains And Pipes Is Necessary
All the drains in your home connect to a sewer line that flushes wastewater out of your home. When there is a buildup or clog in your pipes, it can cause wastewater to collect and become stagnant. This stagnant wastewater can attract
harmful bacteria like legionella and germs that affect indoor air quality and health.
This damp wastewater also provides the ideal conditions for mould and mildew to grow. And if the wastewater keeps collecting, it can eventually cause your pipes to leak and damage the structure of your walls and floors.
Thus, you can see why keeping your pipes clear of clogs and buildup is important to ensure that wastewater is drained properly. To help you keep your drains clean, here are some useful tips you can try:
1. Use A Drain Catcher To Remove Solid Objects
Bond cleaners in Townsville recommend using a drain catcher to prevent clogs and buildups. You can place these drain catchers over the opening of your bathroom, kitchen and shower drains so that they can collect solid objects like eggshells, food debris, soap scum and hair.
2. Avoid Pouring Grease And Oil Down Your Pipes
Next, keep hot grease and oil out of your pipes, as these elements can combine and solidify in your drains and cause major clogs. This sticky residue can also trap food debris and fruit peels, preventing your drains from functioning properly. Thus, it is best to pour oil and grease into a container, and once it solidifies, you can throw it away in your garbage.
3. Run Hot Water To Loosen Gunk And Debris
You should run hot water weekly to get rid of smaller clogs in your drains and pipes. Let the hot water flow for about a minute to dissolve and loosen any stubborn food particles, debris, grease and solid clogs and help keep your drains functioning properly. Bond cleaners in Townsville recommend that you do this at least once every week to prevent clogs in your pipes and drains.
Caution
If you have a buildup of water in your drains, avoid using hot water as it can cause an overflow of
sewage and wastewater that can harm your health. It is better instead to call a professional plumber to check your pipes and remove the stagnant water buildup.
4. Mix Baking Soda And Vinegar To Create A Fizzing Foam
Another easy and effective solution to clear your pipes and drainage systems is using two natural household cleaners: baking soda and vinegar. While the alkaline and slightly abrasive baking soda cuts down grease residue and removes odours, the acetic acid in vinegar loosens solid debris and food particles.
When these two are combined, they release carbon dioxide gas that removes even the toughest clogs from your pipes. To clean your pipes with these two solutions, pour ½ cup of baking soda down your drains and then add 1 cup of white vinegar. Leave this mixture for about 30 minutes, and then flush your drains with hot water.
Tip
Besides baking soda and vinegar, here are some
eco-friendly cleaning products for your home.
5. Get Rid Of Soap Scum From Shower Drains With Dish Soap
Soap scum collects in your bathroom drains over time and causes major clogs and buildups. To clear your shower and bathroom drains, pour 1 tablespoon of dish soap down the pipes as it effectively cuts down soap residues. Leave this for ten minutes, flush the soap scum and dish soap down the drain with hot water, and repeat if necessary.
Tip
Here are some effective tips to
get rid of a shower drain smell.
6. Use A Drain Snake To Remove Hard-To-Reach Debris
Next, bond cleaners in Townsville recommend using a drain snake to reach deep inside your pipes and clear any stubborn clogs. These drain snakes are thin wire-like coils that can be twisted and turned to eliminate tough food debris and sticky residues. You must also be careful that you do not damage your pipes while using the drain snake.
7. Hire A Professional To Clean Your Pipes And Drains
Lastly, if all other measures fail and your wastewater and clog keep building up, it is time to call a professional plumber. These experts will check your pipes, find the exact source of the problem, and resolve it. You can even get regular checkups done every month to ensure your drains and pipes are functioning smoothly.
Tip
If you have a garbage disposal that has a foul odour, here are some tips to help you
clean your garbage disposal.
Conclusion
You can keep your drains and pipes clean by using the above techniques and solutions so that there is no wastewater buildup in your home. It is better to use natural solutions like baking soda and vinegar that will not damage your pipes and cause any toxic residue in your home.
