Are you consistently having problems with clogged drains? If you’re plunging toilets and sinks often, you might want to take a look at your habits. At Pomona Quick Plumbing and Rooter, we know that it’s easy to misuse drains. In fact, most of the time it’s unintentional. People just aren’t aware of what can and can’t go down the drain.

Keep reading to learn more about the five most common trouble makers for kitchen and bathroom plumbing.

Fat, Oils and Grease (FOG)

Most people know they shouldn’t pour a pan full of grease down the kitchen sink. What about the rinsing out pans after cooking that have trace amounts of grease? Could this cause problems for your drains?

The answer is 100% yes. Oil, grease, and cooking fat, even in small amounts, can accumulate and stick to pipes. To prevent these types of kitchen sink clogs, we suggest letting pots and pans cool. Then, wipe them down with a paper towel because rinsing and washing them.

Leftover Food

The garbage disposal is a great small kitchen appliance because it makes it easy to clean up after a meal. We have a confession to make though. Plumbers in Pomona don’t care for disposals. In fact, we would prefer our customers never used them.

The reason we dislike garbage disposals is because they’re used incorrectly. People tend to stuff as much food waste in their disposals as possible and this eventually causes jams. It’s better to use the disposal sparingly and throw away or compost most food waste.

Wet Wipes and Sanitary Pads

Though many of these products claim to be “flushable,” we urge you to throw them away. Wet wipes, sanitary pads, paper towels, and other cleansing materials are bulky and create shallow drain clogs. If they make it past the trap, they take too long to breakdown and will eventually block water flow.

The only non-organic item that should be flushed is toilet paper. It’s made to dissolve quickly. For homeowners who have septic systems, make sure you choose septic-safe toilet paper. Some cheaper brands aren’t septic-safe and can cause backups.

Hair

Everyone loses hair while showering. In fact, it’s normal to lose as much as a straws width of hair everyday. When you have several people taking showers each day, that’s a decent amount of hair going down the drain. Eventually, this hair knots up and gets caught in soap residue, creating tight clogs that can cause water to backup in your shower and bath drains.

Human hair isn’t the only culprit. Do you bathe your dog at your home? Pet fur can jam up drains too.

To make this less of a problem, we suggest installing hair catchers over your drains. Water gets through, but hair doesn’t. When you’re done taking a shower, remove the catcher and dispose of any hair in the trash can.

Cat Litter

We can’t stress enough how bad cat litter is for your plumbing system. Cat owners should never pour used cat litter down the toilet, clumping or non-clumping. Instead, put the litter in the trash can.

Following these tips will help you keep your drains clear and you’ll avoid serious drainage issues. In cases when you have a backup, don’t hesitate to call us. Our plumbers in Pomona are available 24/7 for drain cleaning, sewer cleaning, and more!