5 Tips To Help You Prevent Smelly Clogged Drains

A drain that is clogged or blocked always seems to happen at an inconvenient time and if you are wanting to keep your plumbing in great shape, taking care of your drains and ensuring they are free from blockages is a great place to start. 

Caring for your drains and ensuring they are free from debris is an important part of caring for your property and ensuring that you are free from clogged drains and plumbing issues. Here are some great tips to ensure your drains are running freely and your plumbing is in great shape:

1. Take care of smaller issues before they become large ones 

Often you might get a small blockage, clear it and then think that all is fine. If you are getting ongoing blockages in your drains or overflowing sinks, be sure to get the issue resolved by a licensed plumber. By leaving smaller issues, they can turn into large ones and cause serious issues with your plumbing such as sewer backups. 

2. Use lint trapper or sink strainers 

By filtering out lint and small debris before they go down the drain you can avoid blockages and the clogging of your drains. Lint traps and sink strainers are a great way to get the debris and keep it from heading down your drains and causing issues down the track. 

Hair in bathrooms and showers can be a huge issue for blockages, and by regularly clearing the drains or the strainers you can avoid costly plumbing bills. This is why it’s always a good idea to use a pop-up stopper in your bathroom sink that can also help to stop items from getting down your sink or drain and causing blockages. 

3. Don’t dump oil or grease down your sink 

While it might be easier and possibly cleaner for you to pour grease or oil down the sink after cooking, consider the long-term implications on your plumbing and drains. Oil and grease is a huge issue with clogged drains and blockages, and if you are going to use it in your cooking the best way is to properly dispose of this in the bin rather than down your sink. 

4. Get rid of food scraps and waste 

No matter how small the particle of food or food scraps is, it can be difficult to clear through the drains and might wind up causing your drains to clog and smell. A good rule of thumb is to ensure no food scraps make their way into your drains, disposing any of your food into your compost or green bin rather than down the sink. 

5. Only use the toilet for flushing waste and toilet paper 

Many people would be shocked at the sort of things that get flushed down a toilet, from baby wipes through to beauty wipes and even dental floss! Be kind to your drains and don’t put anything down the toilet unless it is human waste or toilet paper. 

Final thoughts

If you have issues with blockages or clogged drains it is always best to call on an expert plumber to ensure you are getting a quality solution. Drains that are not properly functioning can cause expensive issues if not sorted out in a timely manner, so be sure to take care of your drains so that you don’t wind up with a big repair bill if blocked drains cause flooding or a serious plumbing problem. 

About The Author: Nick Thomas is a DIY renovator and house flipper from LA. With extensive knowledge of property and home improvement trends, Nick is full of practical tips to help homeowners and landlords improve their properties.  

Photo by Gareth Hubbard on Unsplash