How to Reduce Your Kitchen Sink Drain Clogs
Need Minneapolis Sink Drain Clog Repair? Contact us today for an estimate! In every home, there are two types of drain that are most likely to become so impossibly clogged that you need to call your local drain cleaning professions. These two drains are your shower and the kitchen sink. While we’re all familiar with the impenetrable hairballs of bathroom clogs, kitchen drain problems are often far more elusive. Let’s face it, we pour a lot of random stuff down our kitchen sinks. Leftover food from dirty plates, bacon grease, mop water, vegetable peels, and anything else that winds up in the sink that’s small enough to be washed down the drain. However, what happens in the drain is a whole different story.
If you are facing constant or particularly bad kitchen sink drain clogs and your local plumber has confirmed that there’s nothing wrong with your garbage disposal, pipes, or S-trap, then it’s time to change how you use your sink. To help you reduce kitchen clogs, we’ve put together a few helpful tips for homeowners.
Use Your Drain Basket
The drain basket is that round metal cup with small holes and a spike at the bottom that sticks into your kitchen drain. When set in gently, it forms a filtering basket that catches food debris before it goes down the drain. When pressed or screwed in more tightly, the holes close up and it allows you to fill your sink with water. For preventing clogs, your drain basket is your best friend.
The right way to use a drain basket has three stages. First is rinsing. If you’re rinsing things down the drain, set the metal basket gently in place to catch debris, then shake it out over the trash to clear the basket. You should also use your drain basket rather than a normal stopper to fill the sink for a dish soak. When you’re done, pull it gently so that water drains through the basket and leaves debris behind. Bang it out into the trash and rinse the basket when you’re done.
Soak Small Items in a Cup
Another major problem with kitchen sinks is the abundance of small items that could wind up down the drain. From rings that fall off your fingers in soapy water to small dessert spoons that slip through your fingers, it is entirely possible to clog your drain or jam your garbage disposal by accident with small objects. Rather than putting them at risk, set aside a large up filled 3/4 with soapy water to soak silverware and smaller items and be sure to remove any jewelry before cooking or washing dishes.
What You Put Down the Garbage Disposal
Let’s start the garbage disposal section by clearing up one little thing: Garbage disposals are not magic. They do not transform food into drain-friendly liquid and they don’t stop ground-up food from becoming a problem further down the line. Garbage disposals are there to help you deal with a few plate scrapings.
Asking too much of your garbage disposal can result in filling your S-trap with food sludge so make sure anything larger than a few crumbs or bread crusts winds up in the trash. Grease is also a bad idea to pour down the sink, as it may be liquid when warm but it turns into a water-resistant solid when it cools off in your drain and can turn into a semi-permanent seal. Finally, a little lemon peel in the garbage disposal makes it smell nice but in general avoid sending anything tough, hard, or crunchy down the drain.
Clearing the Pipes Without Chemicals
On our final tip for kitchen sink drain care, there are absolutely ways you can encourage good drain health without turning to harsh chemicals Simply running very hot water down the drain for a few minutes a week can help melt any sticky residue and clear out you S-trap and pipes below. You might also consider a little vinegar for added dissolution and salt for a little scrubbing action.
Kitchen drains are sometimes difficult to keep clean but with the right attitude and proper use of your drain basket, you should be able to significantly improve the quality and maintenance of your drain. However, if your best efforts still occasionally result in a bad kitchen sink drain clog, don’t be shy about calling the Minneapolis Sink Drain Clog Repair professionals to sort out the problem. For more information on your kitchen sink drain or advice on how to handle your drain in particular, contact us today!
