Those drains in your house are significant. They allow the water to pass through while keeping your kitchen, outdoors, and bathrooms clean. However, certain items can clog them and result in serious consequences.

You may not assume when the situation worsens, and you end up calling a team for professional plumbing services. So, the following are some items that might create obstructions to water running through the pipes.

Animal Fur or Your Dog’s Hair 

Your pet’s hair shampoo day can create havoc on your drains in the bathroom. Pets (especially dogs) shake off their fur while bathing. This might result in shedding. When combined with debris and soap scum, it forms stubborn clogs. As a result, it blocks the drain and creates obstacles for the water to flow smoothly.

Your Hair 

You may think depositing your hair in the washroom keeps your rooms clean and tidy. In most cases, it’s not always the hair that solely causes the blocks in your drain. It may combine with cleansers and soap scum inside the drain pipe. It may combine with cleansers and soap and solidify in the drain pipes along the pipe walls. 

With more hair building up in pipes, more hair will get caught inside. This might obstruct the water’s flow. This process results in a clog.

Food and Grease

Grease is a solid or semi-fluid product that can clog drains. Hot grease is usually fluid in nature. As soon as the temperature falls, it gets solidified and clogs the drain. Eventually, grease can also accumulate and cause blockage in pipes.

Most food items, including rice and pasta, are porous. That means they will soak up water and expand. Besides, foods that have a higher level of grease, fat, and oil may obstruct water flow in your sink and drain. 

Draining a food item in the sink may catch and create a foul smell around the sink. So, plumbing and drain cleaning professionals advise people not to wash food scraps into the kitchen. You can alternatively use a garbage disposal.

Hair Products and Soap

Scientifically speaking, soap and hair products (or any cosmetic items) may clog the drain. 

Imagine getting makeup in your bathroom vanity unit. You must be using your eyeshadow and compact, won’t you? These powdered products may cause immense issues, and, after a point in time, they may clog the drains. 

On the other hand, haircare products used in the shower may frequently clog the drain more speedily. Scientifically, cosmetic products are thick liquid items that may clog drains. 

Soap scum can also result in drain clogs. Note that bar soap can resolve in the drains, clumping into a semi-liquid mass over time. As a result, it eventually causes a blockage. When small soap chunks build up, it may result in a larger blockage. 

Soap residues (even ones from conventional soap bars) are more common in bathroom and laundry drains. Fat may build up and result in clogged drains when combined with fat or grease. The soap scum may also reduce the pipe’s space, thereby making water flow slower. Additionally, soap scums can also combine with other materials like hair and dirt to form stubborn clogs. 

Buildup of Minerals

Water in these areas is considered hard if you reside in a Western or South Australian region. And the problem with hard water is the additional content of minerals. A few of them are calcium, potassium, and magnesium. These minerals can also corrode pipes and block drains.

Instead of removing sediment buildup from drains, you may use a water softener to reduce the impact of hard water on your drains. However, a plumber can offer the best solution. If you are facing problems with clogged drains, it’s time to consult a drain cleaning plumbing team shortly.

Cleaning Products Used in the Bathrooms

The combination of soap scum in the drains and chemicals may result in a chemical reaction that corrodes the pipes. However, a homeowner should note that chemicals would not get washed that easily. It could turn into a huge issue in the long run. It may cause harmful chemical reactions, too. Thus, you should efficiently use cleaning products in your washroom. 

Dirt (and Debris) 

Your washroom’s everyday use may result in dirt buildup in the floors and drains. When combined with soap scum and hair, it might create blockage over some time. While you opt for regular bathroom cleaning, not all homeowners have the time since everyone is working.

So, it’s better to rinse excess dirt from your shoes and clothes outside the yard instead of visiting the bathroom directly from the outside. Some people don’t prefer wearing shoes indoors. For them, bathroom cleaning (once or twice a week) becomes a safer alternative. 

Now that you understand the everyday items that can clog your drains, it’s time to think efficiently. If you are currently facing issues, consult a plumbing team. From now on, you can keep these things in mind and opt for regular maintenance.