Preventing blocked drains and some DIY tips for unblocking them

Prevention is better than cure they say, and when it comes to the drains in your kitchen and bathrooms there are some simple tips that will help prevent your drains getting clogged up. 

In the kitchen

Grease, fats and oils are your main culprits here. When they are disposed of down the sink they have the ability to quickly congeal, further trapping small food scraps and debris. Over time this concoction of fat and food particles will block your drain.
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You will know there is a blockage by 
- slow drainage or no drainage of water from the sink
- food odours emanating from the sink 

To prevent this, always ensure you sop up excess oils and fats from your pans and cookware  with a paper towel and dispose in the bin. When having to wash greasy pans/plates, use the hottest water you can and run hot water down the drain at the end of the wash up. 

We would also highly recommend using a mesh or food trap filter over your sink to catch large food particles and prevent them from going down the drain. 

Mesh sink traps

In the bathroom

The main culprit in the shower and vanity sink is a combination of hair, dirt, skin particles and soap scum. Over time, soap scum from hand wash, shampoos, body wash, toothpaste and shaving products solidifies on the walls of pipes and easily traps hair and dirt. 

Whilst the use of soap cannot be avoided, ensure you wash hot water down the sink or shower regularly to try and dissolve this soap scum. It is also important to regularly clean the shower grate, removing hair that is tangled within it. Leaving this will eventually mean hair makes it way down the drain and gets entrapped amongst the soap scum 

​Some DIY tips to clear your drain

• Firstly, remove any visible hair or debris from the sink
• A bent wire hanger can be useful for pulling hair out of the first few inches of a drain. Simply bend the wire hanger into a hook, then push the wire into the drain and use the hook to fish out the hair.
• Slowly poor hot water down the sink to try and dissolve any fat or soap scum
• You can try a simple plunger to try and dislodge the occlusion. Plug any other holes in the sink with a rag or plug. Ensure the plunger is in an upright position and completely covers the clogged drain. Plunge about ten times vigorously to try and dislodge and remove the blockage.

If you still have not managed to have success in clearing the drain it is time to call in a professional licensed plumber. At Cattley Plumbing we can come out and assess your drain, and quickly clear your blocked drains. Using professional equipment, we can remove the blockage and provide you with clear running drains again. Call James form Cattley Plumbing  today on 0409 875 391