Your plumbing drains are meant to carry wastewater from your home into the sewer or septic where they belong. However, your drains can experience problems from time to time. When these pipes get clogged, it can not only create disruption in your home but it can also jeopardize the health of your entire septic system.
While all drains are vulnerable to clogs, it can be especially frustrating when the plumbing congestion occurs at the bathroom sink. Have you ever been brushing your teeth or trying to shave as the bathroom sink is filling up with water? Does it occur on a regular basis? If so, you may need to implement the following tips on preventing bathroom sink clogs:
- #1 Brush Your Hair Elsewhere
- Hair is the most common cause of a clogged bathroom sink. Instead of brushing your hair directly over the sink, try to stand to the side or back away so that your hair doesn’t inadvertently fall into the drain.
- #2 Perform Monthly Drain Cleaning if You Shave Over the Sink
- The short hairs and whiskers from facial shaving can be just as harmful for your drain efficiency as long hairs, especially when you add thick gel shaving creams. Since shaving over the sink is most convenient, you can avoid the drain buildup by performing a periodic cleaning every 3-4 weeks. If your regularly shave at your sink, try a simple and easy combination of baking soda, vinegar and boiling water to naturally and effectively clear out your drains.
- #3 Don’t Be Careless With Your Toothpaste
- A sneaky culprit to clogged bathroom sinks is toothpaste, which can quickly glob and harden against the walls of your pipes. Try not to be sloppy when applying your toothpaste on your brush to avoid this.
- #4 Throw Dental Floss in the Trash
- Your bathroom sink can handle all types of byproducts from your hygiene routine, but dental floss is not one of them. Dental floss can get tangled and wrap around your drain or ball up in your pipes to form a clog.
- #5 Be Mindful of Haircare and Facial Cleansing Products
- Soap, hair gel and skin cleansers are dangerous when they combine with hair clogs. In fact, they can make hair clogs much worse.
Hiring a Plumber May Be Best
Even with the most careful preventive measures, drains can still clog. When it comes to unclogging your bathroom sink drain, there are many home remedies and over-the-counter products to help you do the job by yourself. However, you should know that certain methods and tools can do more harm than good. For example, using a plumbing snake can sometimes damage the walls of your pipes, creating the need for further repairs. Also, if the clogged drain persists after repeated efforts, the culprit may be lying far beneath the surface and require professional inspection. To ensure your clogged drains are repaired effectively and safely, call the experts of Metro Septic. We offer camera inspection technology when diagnosing your clogged drains and repairing your septic system.