As the holiday season ramps up so do the number of clogged drains. This is because people are spending more time at home, there are extra family members or guests coming to stay and the plumbing fixtures are in high demand. Lavish meals are lovingly prepared and consumed so there are lots of greasy dishes. When you’re enjoying the end-of-year break, the last thing you need is a clogged drain or overflowing toilet. Below are some useful tips on preventing a clogged drain disaster this holiday season.
1. Instal a drain grate in the kitchen sink
Due to the extra dishes and food being consumed, a common cause of blocked kitchen sink drains during the holiday season is food scraps. Installing a drain grate in the kitchen sink can catch leftover turkey, mince pie crumbs or christmas pudding before it goes into the pipes and causes issues.
2. Don’t pour oil down the sink
Oil is notorious for causing blocked drains and sewers. When oil cools down it solidifies and sticks to anything inside the pipes, including the pipe itself. It glues other debris such as wet-wipes and sanitary items together in the pipes, creating ‘fatbergs’. Make sure greasy food items and cooking oil is disposed of in the bin or compost. This includes animal fats left over from roasting, oily gravies, leftover cream and any other greasy food scraps. Wiping cooking pots and plates with a paper towel before washing them is an effective method for reducing clogged drains caused by oil.
3. Instal hair catchers in the bathroom sink and shower:
Does your trendy nephew clipper his moustache over the vanity sink? Maybe your sister has brought her loveable pooch to stay and wants to wash it in the shower. Extra houseguests means that extra hair (and possibly fur) is being washed down the bathroom drains. Covering the drain openings with hair catchers reduces the likelihood of a blocked drain in the bathroom caused by hair.
4. Inform young children that toilets are not toys
You don’t want little Harry’s new toy boat taking its maiden voyage in the toilet. To a young child the flush mechanism of a toilet is a fun thing to play with. Ensure you educate any young children in the household about the dangers of flushing toys down the toilet.
A toy dinosaur removed from a blocked toilet that was flushed by a child.
5. Don’t flush wet-wipes down the toilet
This includes makeup wipes, cleaning wipes, baby wipes or any type of wet-wipes. Unlike toilet paper which dissolves quickly, these wipes can take many years to break down. Flushing wet-wipes is a surefire way to clog up the toilet this holiday season.
6. Always have a bin next to the toilet
Make it easy for your guests to dispose of wipes and personal care products in the correct manner. If there is no bin in the bathroom there is an increased likelihood that someone will flush something that shouldn’t be flushed. You can also write a friendly reminder and stick it to the toilet door asking guests to place personal care items in the bin.
7. Buy low-ply toilet paper
The toilet is going to be getting used much more than usual so buy low-ply toilet paper to reduce the risk of a toilet clog. The thicker the toilet paper the longer it takes to disintegrate. So if lots of people are using a thick-ply paper the toilet pipes will be put under extra pressure.
