How to Keep Your Drains Clear (Before They Cost You Thousands)

You don’t need to pour bacon grease down the sink to ruin your plumbing; just rinsing your plate is enough. That’s right! Over time, that layer of oil hardens inside the pipe. Add some soap scum, hair, coffee grounds, or a “flushable” wipe that doesn’t break down, and now you’ve got a slow-growing clog with nowhere to go. It doesn’t look like a problem until your kitchen floods or the tub won’t drain.

The truth is, most clogged drains aren’t accidents. They’re predictable and avoidable. And this guide shows you exactly where things go wrong, and what to change before you’re paying for a plumber and a cleanup crew.

Start with What’s Going Down the Drain

The biggest cause of clogs is simple: things going down the drain that shouldn’t. But it’s not always obvious what’s safe and what’s not.

In the Kitchen

• Avoid pouring grease, oil, or fat down the sink as even small amounts solidify in the pipes.
• Scrape food scraps into the trash before rinsing dishes.
• Use a mesh strainer to catch pasta, rice, and coffee grounds. These expand and clump inside the drain.

Even if you have a garbage disposal, it’s not a garbage chute. Disposals can shred food, but they don’t remove buildup from your pipes. If you overload them or send fibrous materials like celery or onion skins down the drain, clogs can still form further down the line.

The Bathroom: Hair and Soap Scum Are the Real Problem

Hair, soap, and shaving cream are the top culprits in bathroom clogs, especially in shower and tub drains.

What to do:

• Install a hair catcher in every shower drain and clean it weekly.
• Avoid bar soap with heavy fats or oils, which leave residue that traps hair and debris.
• Flush drains with hot water once a week to break up any buildup.

If you’re noticing a foul odor or gurgling sound from the drain, that’s a sign that something is already starting to collect in the pipes.

Skip the Chemical Drain Cleaners

It’s tempting to pour a store-bought cleaner down when a drain slows, but most chemical cleaners do more harm than good.

These products don’t remove the clog—they just burn through a small channel. The blockage stays, and the chemicals often damage older or PVC pipes in the process. They can also cause dangerous reactions if combined with other cleaners.

What to do instead: If water is draining slowly, try a hand auger or a drain bladder. If you’re unsure what’s causing the problem, call a professional before it turns into a backup. A licensed plumber can diagnose the issue and clear it without damaging your system.

Flush Your Drains Before They Slow Down

Preventive flushing can keep buildup from turning into a blockage. But boiling water isn’t always safe, and baking soda and vinegar only help with surface gunk.

A better option:

• Run hot tap water (not boiling) for 30 seconds after heavy use, especially after cooking or washing hair.
• Once a month, pour a mixture of hot water and a small amount of dish soap down the kitchen sink to break up grease.

If you live in a home with older plumbing, ask your plumber about enzyme-based drain cleaners. These are safe for pipes and help dissolve organic matter over time.

Watch the Warning Signs

Most clogs don’t appear overnight. There are subtle signs at first that a drain is struggling.

• Water pools before draining
• You hear gurgling after water flows
• Odors come from the sink, even after cleaning
• The toilet bubbles when the shower is on

If you spot more than one of these signs in different fixtures, the problem might be deeper in the system. That’s when professional drain cleaning is the right move.

Schedule a Drain Cleaning Before It Becomes an Emergency

At Rockwater Plumbing, we handle more emergency plumbing calls from neglected drains than anything else. People wait until there’s water backing up into the sink or a toilet won’t flush, and by that point, it’s no longer a simple fix.

A professional cleaning clears not just the immediate clog but also the buildup along the pipe walls that would lead to another blockage soon after.

Final Tip: Prevention Beats Repair Every Time

The best way to deal with clogs is to stop them before they form. With a few simple changes like watching what goes down the drain, cleaning strainers regularly, and calling in a plumber when the signs start – you’ll save time, money, and frustration.

If you have a slow drain, recurring clogs, or just want peace of mind, call Rockwater Plumbing. We’ll inspect the lines, clear them, and help you keep things flowing.