A clogged kitchen sink (or other sink) can be a real pain in the behind. You probably use your sink quite a bit when preparing food and cleaning up afterwards, washing your hands, and performing many other routine day-to-day tasks. Having it clog up on you is not a pleasant experience, which is why it’s important to try to remember to prevent clogs in the first place.
Here are a few helpful preventative tips for avoiding sink clogs:
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Have a Strainer (and use it!)
Many of us get in the habit of just pulling out the sink strainer and letting everything go down the drain. The strainer is important not only for keeping larger pieces of debris out, but also for keeping it all in one place. Once you’re done washing everything in the sink, yank out the strainer and tap it on the rubbish bin to discard all food scraps – easy peasy!
Try to remember to keep the strainer in the sink at all times, only taking it out to discard the scraps, then promptly putting it back in place. This also gets you and others in your home conditioned to keeping it there by default.
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Limit Grease & Oil Going Down the Drain
A big one that many homeowners muck up and which almost inevitably leads to a clog somewhere in the future is tipping oil and grease straight down the drain. Avoid doing this and get in the habit of bottling up all discarded grease and oil and disposing of it properly, i.e. not down the drain!
Grease and oils are fats, and fats are what (more often than not) start to cause clogs, tough clogs. While little chunks of vegetables might decompose and rot, thus clearing up a clog, fats will congeal and solidify and create an impermeable barrier and thus a tough clog indeed.
Please try to be cautious about pouring oil and grease down the drain. A little is inevitable, but the bulk of it should be put in a separate container or bottle.
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Be Careful About Food Going Down the Drain
Likewise, another obvious culprit of sink clogs is foodstuffs clogging up the pipes. Little pieces of food can get stuck around the P-trap area and get cleared out fairly easily by detaching the knob underneath and cleaning it out. If the clog is past the P-trap and into the plumbing, you could have a much more difficult situation on your hands.
Refrain from tipping large chunks of food straight down the drain and instead discard them into the rubbish bin and let the strainer catch whatever little pieces remain.
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Do Weekly Flushes with Hot Water
A good habit to get into, especially if you like hot coffee or tea, is to do a weekly flush of the drain. Simply pour some hot water down the drain once a week so that any accumulated food or grease gets (hopefully) knocked away and cleared out.
If you’re in the habit of boiling water in a kettle, pour your coffee/tea, then pour what’s left down the drain, and that’s it, job done!
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Call a Professional Plumber Near You
All of these tips can be helpful before your sink is clogged, but they’re of no use after the fact! A sink clog often requires a snake to clear out, a tool that can be dangerous and challenging to use alone. Clearing out clogged sinks when it’s past the P-trap often requires the assistance of a professional plumber, so look no further than FastnLocal Plumbing in Melbourne.
FastnLocal Plumbing
Get quick assistance with sink clogs and more by calling FastnLocal Plumbing
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