You probably don’t have time to think about cleaning your plumbing right now. Although, as you spend more time socially distancing at home, the health of your plumbing will become increasingly critical. Having a clogged toilet or broken faucet at home is the last thing you want.
Right now, there are several things you can do to keep your plumbing fully functional. Taking care of your plumbing fixtures is a great way to take your mind off of things for a while. Each of these maintenance and cleaning tasks is quick and easy to do, and you won’t need many tools. Check out these methods and their details.
Make sure your drains are clean
The majority of drain clogs do not occur simultaneously. Over time, gunk and grime accumulate in your drain pipes. By removing that gunk early, you can prevent most future clogs. Even if your drains do not seem clogged, you should periodically clean them out. Spring is a great time to do it! You just need boiling water, white vinegar, and baking soda to do it.
Start by pouring around 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain. You should then add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure on each drain while you wait. Boil one cup of water per drain that needs to be cleaned. Fill each drain with one cup of hot water after 15 minutes. A chemical reaction takes place between the vinegar and baking soda, and the hot water flushes out the gunk.
Keep your traps clean
Under every sink, the “trap” connects the sewer pipe to the drain pipe. A trap is sometimes called a “p-trap,” a “s-trap,” or a “u-trap” according to the shape of its curves. These traps are designed to retain some of the water you flush down the drain.
As a result, sewer gases cannot rise back up through the drain. Inadvertently flushing other items down the drain retains them in traps.
Fortunately, traps can be easily removed and cleaned. Begin by looking under your sink for the trap. Two slip nuts attach it to each pipe, and it’s usually made of metal or PVC. Place a bucket under the trap and wear gloves. Loosen the slip nuts with a wrench or by hand. Empty all the contents of the trap into a bucket. Scrub the trap to ensure nothing is stuck inside. Retighten the slip nuts after cleaning the trap. Check that everything is working properly by running the sink.
Make sure your showerheads are clean
Maybe your shower isn’t working as well as it used to. It is probably the showerhead that is causing the problem. Luckily, the fix is surprisingly simple. Scale buildup, minerals, and other gunk can cause your showerhead’s nozzles to clog over time. Hard water makes this more likely to happen. The best way to make your showers more enjoyable is to clean your showerhead. This can be approached in a few different ways. Scrub the nozzles with an old toothbrush dipped in a cleaning solution. Then, try putting 1/2 cup each of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water (remember that?) into a plastic bag. Submerge the nozzles of the showerhead in the bag. Lastly, disassemble the showerhead according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Clean the filter using a sink. Also wash the inside of the nozzles.
