Summertime is usually a time for family, food, friends, and fun. Unfortunately, it’s also hot and humid outside and a time when our drains are more likely to get clogged up. When it comes to drains, we end up dumping all sorts of stuff, from grease, cooking oil, food scraps, and hair, to dirt and food. This stuff can easily cause a drain to get clogged. At Five Star Cincinnati Plumbing, we’re here to help you prevent your drains from clogging up this season and throughout the year. Whether it’s water heater repair, drain cleaning, water heater installation, or garbage disposal installation, we are southwest Ohio’s top-rated local plumbing team.
Here are some of the most common causes of drain clogs and how to prevent them:
Is Cooking Oil and Grease Causing the Clog?
Cooking oil and grease are among the leading causes of drain clogs in most homes. They might flow when hot, but after they cool off in the drain, they often solidify and cling to the insides of your pipes to create clogs. Over time, this can cause blockages. To prevent it from happening in the first place, we encourage you to never pour oil or grease down the drain. Instead, give it time to cool in a container and once it’s hardened, dispose of it in the trash or out back in your compost. Just beware of rodents when throwing it out.
Do You Need a Garbage Disposal?
Like we have said before, food scraps are another prevalent cause of drain clogs. When our food goes down the drain, it can get caught in the pipes and create blockages. This is an easy thing to prevent this. The best way is to dispose of food scraps in the trash instead of down the drain. If you have a garbage disposal, use it responsibly and keep big stuff out.
How Can You Tell If Hair is Causing My Clog?
Hair is another common bathroom sink offender when it comes to drain clogs. When hair falls out, it can fall into the sink, bathtub drain, or shower drain and it can build up over time and create a blockage. To avoid hair from clogging your drain, try keeping hair up off the floor by sweeping and disposing of it in the trash. Additionally, you can install a drain cover to filter any hair that gets down to the drain.
Do You Let Floss Into the Drain?
If you use floss to clean your teeth, make sure to throw it away properly in the trash instead of letting it go down the drain. This can cause a clog in the pipes and need professional drain cleaning.
Do You Use Paper Towels at the Sink?
A lot of people don’t know this, however, paper towels are another item that should never go down the drain. Paper towels are not made to go down the drain and should never be flushed down the toilet. They can stick together and they aren’t like toilet paper that easily dissolves. Paper towels can cause blockages in your pipes. The bottom line is that you should always put paper towels in the trash. No exceptions. Additionally, you might want to consider switching from regular bathroom tissue to brown paper towels since these tend to break down easier.
Do You Flush Feminine Hygiene Products?
This one is a bit more obvious but it’s worth mentioning because we still find it clogging drains. Feminine hygiene products should never be put down the drain. When they’re being washed down the drain, they can stick together and they can stick to other things or stick to grease in the drain and create a blockage in your pipes. To avoid this problem, always dispose of all hygiene in the trash, where it belongs, instead of down the sink or toilet.
Do You Do Your Make-Up at the Sink?
It’s essential to also avoid letting any other sort of personal hygiene products such as cotton balls and make-up remover pads down the drain. This stuff, as we have discussed, can also build up and form clogs in the drain and in your pipes. Always throw them away in the trash when you’re done with them.
Are Your Downspouts Clogged with Leaves?
Removing leaves from your gutters and around gutters in the yard is also essential to avoid clogs. When the rain washes leaves and dirt into your gutters, it can eventually make its way into your downspouts and cause blockages. To prevent this, always keep your gutters clean and free of debris. If you suspect you have issues with your downspout drains, call us at Five Star Cincinnati Plumbing. We offer downspout cleaning services at discounted rates.
Do Your Kids Play with Toys in the Bathtub?
Toys are another prevalent cause of drain clogs, especially if they have small parts that can break off or get sucked down into the drain. Children are at home more during the summer because of summer break. They play more and their toys can end up getting washed down the drain. To avoid this issue, always put toys away when the little ones are done playing with them and make sure they don’t end up going down the drain.
Do You Give Your Pets Baths in the Bathtub or Sink?
If you have pets, their hair can also cause drain clogs if you bathe them or their hair gets near a drain. This issue can grow worse during the summer when you’re cleaning and bathing more. To avoid this, always watch where your pets are shedding their hair so you can clean it up right away. You may also want to keep a lint brush in the bathroom or kitchen just for pet hair.
If you’re ever in need of plumbing services here in Southwest Ohio, be sure to contact Five Star Cincinnati Plumbing. We offer top-notch drain cleaning services, emergency plumber services, water heater repair services, hydro jetting, drain camera services, and more for homeowners and businesses in the Greater Cincinnati area. So call us today at (513) 204-9944, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
