How do I keep my drains from clogging?

Recently we had some septic work (oh, joy) done in our own home and while chatting with the technician, it got me thinking…how do I keep my drains from clogging?

I very rarely pour cooking oil down the drain that there are lots of products (soap, hair conditioner, coconut oil) that we use daily that cause oil builds up in our pipes and septic, along with hair.

So, whether you have and older bathroom that is ready to remodel or have just completed a remodel here are some maintenance tips you should incorporate to keep everything flowing smoothly for years to come.

Here are a few tips to consider:

1. Compost organic food waste
   • Don’t put food, coffee ground etc..down the drain.
     
2. Keep hair out of the drain and toilet as much as possible
   
   
3. Only flush limited toilet paper
   • tissues, wipes, paper towels, soap, and even large quantities of toilet paper can create build up and clogs
     
4. Reduce your usage of bar soaps. Soap scum and chunks that break off accumulate in pipes faster than liquid soap.
   
   
5. Don’t wash pets inside.
   • Wet fur can do a lot of damage, and once in the pipe can act as a net to catch more debris.
     
6. Flush your drains regularly (every month or so) with boiling water to melt away grease and scum build up. (don’t pour boiling water in your toilet)
   
   
7. Try half a cup of baking soda down each drain once every three to four months. Chase the baking soda with a half-cup of vinegar, and then pour the boiling water after about a minute. This combo will deodorize and clear early clogs all on its own.
   
   
8. Add a water softening system to reduce the amount of minerals in the water which can cause build up.
   
   
9. If you have a septic system, ask for them to Jet Flush your main each time the pump the tank, this will dislodge build up in that section of the piping.

We aren’t going to be able to eliminate clogs or back ups from ever happening but taking some time to make a few changes to add some easy maintenance could reduce the chance. It’s important to do whatever you can to limit these risks.