Keeping the drain clean is important for the free-flow of the water and for avoiding other plumbing problems. You can do a simple cleaning routine yourself and be careful about what you let down the drain in the first place. Below are a few steps on how to keep your drains clear.
Clean the drains yourself
Keeping the drains clean yourself is the simplest way to avoid problems caused by the accumulation of various substances down the line. You can use bleach or a mixture of table salt and vinegar to clean most drains. You should be careful when using strong, store-bought drain cleaners, although most of them are safe when used in small quantities. Whatever substance you choose to clean the drains yourself, it is best to make a habit of it and don’t wait until a main blockage occurs.
Don’t throw everything down the drain
Pouring everything down the drain (both in the bathroom and in the kitchen) is not healthy for your drains. Grease is one of the main offenders for the kitchen drains. You can make a habit out of collecting leftover cooking oil or grease in a separate recipient and dispose of it accordingly, instead of letting it run down the drain when you wash the skillet. Likewise, you can be a bit more selective with the food waste, instead of letting it all go into the garbage disposer. In the bathtub, you can catch the hair before it reaches the drain in order to avoid clogs. If you do have problems, you should call a plumbing practitioner licensed by the Plumbing Society.
Use hot water
Letting very hot water run down the drain is perhaps the simplest way of taking care of your drains. This can be easily done in the kitchen and it will help remove grease residue. The bathroom drains can also be cleaned this way. You can use the hot water technique as the last step when you clean the drains yourself using bleach or a vinegar-based cleaning formula: simply pour about 2 litres of hot water after letting the baking soda/vinegar mixture sit for a minute or so.
The National Water Agency is the association to contact if you need information about the public drainage system or if the area you live in needs professional repair work.
If you do not have the time, or the right tools for a drain unclogging work, a plumber in Singapore can help you unclog a drain.
