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What’s the one place in your house that suffers abuse at your hands? The kitchen drain! You probably never pay any attention to it. You may even use the garbage disposal as your go-to guy for throwing away the trash.

Food product build up, chemical concentrations and grease accumulation… can you imagine the nasty clog all these things make?! Hope that you never encounter it because the smell alone will make you think twice before going into the kitchen. There goes your morning cup of coffee!

At their worst, clogs need to be cleared by a professional plumber in the Fort Worth, TX area. Not only do they have the right tools but they are also eco-friendly cleaners that maintain the strength and structure of your drain pipes. So, until help arrives, what can you do?

Use one of those DIY drain cleaning solutions?

STOP! We beg you to not use those solutions as they can cause more damage than good. Instead, we have come up with a couple of unique tips, as well as a few tried and tested ones that will help you clear a clog in the drain. Keep in mind – these tips might work only temporarily. You will still need to call a plumber.

Let’s begin:

Tip #1 – Set the Right Water Temperature

What’s your water preference? Do you like the tap water lukewarm or cold? Here’s a water fact that you might not know: hot water breaks up grease that washes away in the water. If you are not a fan of hot water, then what you can do is run it once a week in the sink. This way, if the drain pipe is blocked with grease clumps, then you can prevent any further addition to it by taking precautions. As for the already hardened clumps, check out tip #7 on how to deal with them.

Tip #2 – Collect Grease

This tip is a little bit nasty but it will save you the trouble of pouring hot water pots down the drain. If you are tired due to clocking long hours in the office, then it’s understandable that by the end of the day, you don’t have much energy for clean-up. Here’s what you can do with the leftover food and the grease in the plate: collect it in a jar. Simply scrape off everything into a jar and place it near the sink. Either throw the jar in the trash can or empty it into a bag.

Tip #3 – Install a Drain Trap

The easiest way to prevent hair, soap scum, and leftover food from getting stuck in the drain pipe is to install a trap.

Tip #4 – Try Sugared Sodas

Phosphoric acid and a few other dissolving agents in soda work wonders on a clog. Coca Cola is a more effective drain cleaner than actual drain cleaners. Its effect is mild and the reaction slow but it clears the clog.

Tip #5 – Stop Throwing Trash Down the Drain

Just like the items you shouldn’t flush down a toilet, there are different types of foods and miscellaneous things that your kitchen drain cannot handle. These include:

  • Coffee grounds
  • Eggshells
  • Medications
  • Household cleaning products
  • Fruit peels
  • Paper towels
  • Napkins
  • Produce sticker

Tip #6 – Use a Hair Removal Tool

We don’t know what exactly this tool is called but picture a long and thick plastic wire with spikes down its length and ring attached at the top. It sort-of resembles skinny fish bones. This tool is extremely useful in clearing a clog in just a couple of minutes. A clog is usually made of leftover food pieces, fat trims and grease. When this gunk comes in contact with cold water, the grease binds all of it together and forms a clog on the pipe’s wall.

To clean the drain with this tool, insert it in the drain slowly and as you go down, twist it gently. Now, slowly pull it out and try to stick to the pipe. The gunk will tangle with the spikes and everything will come straight out. It’s possible that some of the gunk might get pushed down but you will get out the majority of it.

A common problem for which most people call a plumber for drain cleaning in the Fort Worth, TX area is a clog. There are plenty of easy ways to clean a clog. Now that you know the baking soda and vinegar trick is not that effective, you can try out these other tips. You will have to put in a little elbow grease and that clog will clear eventually. However, to make sure that the clog has passed all the way down the drainpipe and into the gutter, you should call a plumber in the Fort Worth, TX area.

If you are looking for a plumber for services that prioritizes punctuality and quality of work above everything else, then visit Benjamin Franklin. The company offers drain cleaning services along with bathroom plumbing, tub replacements, line repairs and more. For their services in the Fort Worth, TX, area, call them at 817-983-7876.