Clearing a Slow-running Drain

Avoiding drain abuse.

It was Tuesday and I was working the homeowner division with my partner Frank. I?m Detective Ernest Friday. We're on our way to Encino to investigate a 10-40 drain abuse. Not a pretty picture. We've got a report you've been dumping hot cooking grease down your drain. When it gets in there, it cools off, hardens up, and starts hanging with a lot of other nasty stuff like coffee grounds, soap scum and hair. You need to keep a can or milk container under your sink as a holding tank for grease and cooking fats. And put a screen over your drain to catch hair and soap scum in the act. Put coffee grounds where they belong -- on the compost pile out back. If it's too late, and you've got to defend yourself, pour equal parts of salt, baking soda and vinegar into the drain, followed by 2 quarts of boiling water. That's the facts on keeping drains clean. Remember that drain abuse is a crime. And that's the On The House tip for today.

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