Drain clogs are an unfortunate part of life, particularly when they occur in one of the most used spaces in your home—the bathroom. Taking care of backed-up drains tends to be one of the most basic jobs of a professional plumber in Libertyville, IL, as we know how to tackle a wide range of causes for clogged and slow drains.
For instance, we might be removing clumps of hair caught in the p-trap of the sink, retrieving objects accidentally flushed down the toilet, and cleaning soap scum that’s built up in your shower drain. We’ll explore these below, talking about how you can prevent drain clogs, and also reveal a couple other surprising reasons homeowners suffer from drain problems in their bathroom.
Preventing Bathroom Drain Clogs
It would be really easy of us to say “don’t let hair get in your drains.” But, we’re not going to leave it at just that. Too many people, particularly those with long hair, think it’s perfectly fine for their hair to go down the drain of their shower, or to even flush clumps down when they’re brushing their hair. Unfortunately, this adds up until a clog develops.
If this happens to you, you might be tempted to reach for a bottle of chemical drain cleaner. We really have to advise against this, since this is a temporary fix at best, and the chemicals in that drain cleaning solution can actually do more harm than good. The best way to avoid this particular problem altogether is to place a drain cover in your shower or bathtub, and to dispose of any other hair in your trash can rather than your toilet or bathroom sink.
What about objects accidentally flushed down the toilet? In some cases, it’s a small child that’s taken something without anyone knowing, and it goes down the toilet before you even suspect anything was amiss. We can’t necessarily help you with that but we can offer this tip—if you have a shelf behind your toilet, don’t store small objects on it! We know this is tempting, but trust us when we say it’s no fun for the homeowner when a wedding ring needs to be retrieved, or a small candle or some other trinket that was on that shelf.
Last but not least, let’s talk about soap scum. You might be wondering how you could possibly prevent this—after all, isn’t it just something that happens in all bathrooms? Well no, not necessarily. Soap scum typically forms due to the buildup of magnesium and calcium in your water (called hard water). The best way to prevent this from happening is to have a whole-house water softener installed in your home. This will benefit your entire plumbing system, not just the bathroom!
Other Bathroom Clogs You Can Avoid
Do you have a cat? How do you dispose of their kitty litter? We hope you aren’t flushing it down the toilet! Remember, kitty litter clumps up when wet, meaning that it will very easily created a blockage in your toilet.
Another strange but true fact is that some homeowners will use their toilets as a trash can, disposing of things like napkins, food wrappers, and feminine products. Unfortunately, even wipes marketed as “flushable” are a problem. The simple fact of the matter is the only product that should be flushed is toilet paper.