Have your bathroom and kitchen drains not been cleaned for a while? Is the water draining slowly, and unpleasant odours coming from the sinks? To prevent blockages, deodorise, and sanitise your pipes, a good drain cleaning is essential! Discover our top tips for maintaining and cleaning your drains.
How to Maintain and Clean Your Drains Daily
The buildup of organic waste, cosmetic products (shampoo, soap…), or even hair and fur in the drains tends to cause blockages. The result? Water drains more slowly, stagnates, and bad odours appear.
Prevention is better than cure, so here are the habits to adopt for daily drain maintenance:
- Pour boiling water: Pouring boiling water into the sink or shower drain helps dissolve accumulated fats (oily residues, soap…) on the walls that cause pipe blockages. Repeat this operation several times a week.
- Remove food scraps and other waste: Clear food scraps from plates and dishes before placing them in the sink. Remove hair and fur after each shower or bath.
- Install a strainer or grid: To prevent as much debris as possible from passing into the drains.
- Clean the traps occasionally: Every two to three months, it’s wise to dismantle and clean the traps.
Why Avoid Industrial Chemical Products for Drain Cleaning?
There are many industrial products sold for cleaning and unblocking drains, but we recommend avoiding them. While often very effective, they tend to damage the pipes over time. Moreover, they are harmful to health and the environment. Opt for natural cleaning products instead, which are more economical and eco-friendly.
Note that there are natural and eco-friendly industrial products available. Choose cleaning products without acid for the best results.
What Product to Use for Natural Drain Cleaning?
Is the water having trouble draining in the sink? Are the drains starting to smell bad? As soon as these signs appear, it’s time to take action! Here are several options for cleaning drains with natural products:
Cleaning Drains with White Vinegar
Known for its sanitising, anti-limescale, and degreasing properties, white vinegar is a powerful ally for deep cleaning drains. It also helps combat bad drain odours. Simply dilute two cups of white vinegar in a litre of boiling water and pour the mixture down the drains.
Tip to try: One of the best grandma’s tips for cleaning drains is white vinegar ice cubes! Fill an ice cube tray with white vinegar. Once the ice cubes are ready, place one in each drain. Let it work and repeat the operation once a month.
Cleaning Drains with White Vinegar and Baking Soda
The combination of white vinegar and baking soda often works wonders for sanitising and cleaning drains. Besides cleaning and removing bad odours, this method is extremely effective for unblocking drains by dissolving and evacuating obstructed residues in the pipes.
Pour one to two tablespoons of baking soda into the drain, add a glass of white vinegar, and let it work for an hour. Then rinse with boiling water, and voilà!
Note: If you notice a chemical reaction when mixing the two products, don’t worry, it’s normal!
Cleaning Drains with White Vinegar and Coarse Salt
Thanks to its abrasive action, coarse salt helps remove bacteria, deposits, and limescale accumulated on the walls of kitchen or bathroom pipes. For effective results, mix it with white vinegar. Use half a cup of coarse salt for one cup of white vinegar. Pour the mixture directly into the drain and let it work for about thirty minutes. Rinse with boiling water.
Cleaning Drains with Washing Soda Crystals
Like baking soda and coarse salt, washing soda crystals are excellent for scrubbing, cleaning, deodorising, and unblocking drains. To use them, dissolve a tablespoon of soda crystals in hot water. Pour it down the drain, let it work for thirty minutes, and rinse with boiling water.
Cleaning Drains with Coffee Grounds
Instead of throwing away your coffee grounds, consider saving them! Degreasing, deodorising, and descaling, they are perfect for sanitising and cleaning drains. The procedure is super easy: pour coffee grounds directly into the drain (about a glass of coffee grounds), pour boiling water, and you’re done!
Want to delegate your home cleaning to professionals? Call on Wecasa’s cleaning experts for top-quality home cleaning services.
