Clearing Slow Drains

When "down the drain" is a good thing.

It's time again for the on the house tip of the week. What's worse than the drip, drip, drip produced by poor water pressure? It's the gulp, gulp, gulp of a slow drain. Dad's old cliche, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is right on when it comes to drains. Cooking grease, coffee grounds, hair and soap scum are a few of the biggest enemies of a drain. Cooking grease should be saved in an old coffee can or cardboard milk container. Coffee grounds are a welcome addition to a mulch pile. And a majority of hair and soap scum can be caught with a screen or grate. A safe way to clear a clogged drain is to pour a half-cup of salt, a half-cup of baking soda and a half-cup of vinegar down the drain. Follow this concoction with at least two quarts of boiling water. And that's the On The House tip for today.


See more tips in the Drainage and Watershed category!