Constantly worried about your drainage system or already facing up to a major blockage? If you’re regularly reaching for the plunger or mop and bucket, it might be time to look at your daily habits. Preventing problems is always easier (and cheaper) than the cure.

Here are six practical tips for preventing blocked drains in Melbourne.

1. Avoid hard items

Your garbage system isn’t built like a tank, unfortunately! It makes light work of tiny scraps, but can run into issues with larger items. Any bones or fruit pits can blunt or damage the shredder blades and cause the motor to jam. Even smaller, tougher pieces of food can get stuck between moving parts.

It’s always best to err on the side of caution. Trying to force down hard items can lead to clogs and breakdowns, which can result in expensive blocked drain repairs. Instead, keep hard scraps out of the sink and dispose of them elsewhere.

2. Skip the fibrous and starchy waste

Fibre is good for your body but not your drainage system. Fibrous and starchy foods might appear harmless enough, but are deceptively strong and tend to tangle and swell inside pipes. It’s a recipe for a big clog if you feed your disposal too much of these!

To prevent a plumbing disaster, don’t put the following down your drains:

  • Potato peels
  • Banana skins
  • Corn husks and cobs
  • Celery
  • Artichokes
  • Onion skins
  • Coffee grounds or filters
  • Eggshells
  • Fruit seeds or pits

If in doubt, throw it in the bin or compost instead.

3. Cut larger items into smaller pieces

Large food scraps another common culprit for blockages. Don’t force anything down that’s more than 1cm in diameter. In fact, most blocked drain specialists recommend swilling down scraps less than 2mm in diameter down your unit. To cater for this recommendation, try to cut all items into smaller chunks and slowly add them to the disposal.

4. Use cold water, not hot

Hot water feels like the right way to wash away scraps, right? Well, contrary to popular belief, cold water is typically better for your garbage disposal. Here’s why:

  • Cold water keeps the motor and shredder cool during operation.
  • It also helps solidify greases and fats so you can chop them up and flush them away or dispose of them in a container.
  • Hot water can melt fats and oils and cause them to stick to pipes.

It’s best to use cold water while you dispose of food scraps, and run it for 5 to 10 seconds afterwards to keep everything moving.

5. Clean regularly (and naturally)

Routine cleaning is one of the best ways to keep your pipes ship shape and shiny.

Try these quick tricks:

  • Scrub the rubber splash guard every month or so to get rid of food residue and smells
  • Drop in some ice cubes while the unit is on to remove debris from blades
  • Run lemon juice and other natural formulas through your disposal to freshen it up.

6. Schedule regular maintenance

Even the best DIY habits aren’t enough to prevent the build up of scraps and grease over time. Especially with older plumbing systems. Fortunately, you can get a blocked drains specialist in at regular intervals to give your plumbing a ‘spring clean’.

Booking a professional inspection every year or so helps:

  • Spot and act on issues before they turn into expensive repairs
  • Clear away hidden build-up in your pipes that goes unseen
  • Extend the lifespan of your drainage system. Blocked drain repairs can keep your garbage disposal running optimally for years afterwards.

Regular checkups are a small investment, but they can really pay off in the long run.

Don’t wait for a blockage

It can be tempting to put things off until they get worse. We’ve all done it with home cleaning and appliance upgrades. But if your best-at-home habits aren’t working and you’re experiencing slow drains or bad smells, it’s time to call in the pros.

Drain Fixers offer fast and affordable blocked drain repairs in Melbourne. Our team of specialists are ready to deliver the best blocked drain services with the latest tech. We can wield hydro jets, CCTV cameras, robo cutting, and more to shift the most stubborn clogs.

Contact us today to book your inspection or service.