Some of the signs of blocked drains include slow draining water in the shower and sink, water backing up in the toilet, strange sounds in your sink and unpleasant odours. If your drain is completely blocked, you will need to find a plumber to fix the problem immediately. Before the arrival of the plumber, you'll have to deal with a messy and unhygienic situation. To avoid issues in the future, consider learning about these preventative measures you can take so you never have to deal with a blocked drain. 

Don't Dispose of Fat and Grease in Your Sink

The number one cause of drain blockage in your kitchen is oil and grease. Even if the oil and grease go into the sink as liquids, they will soon cool and form a caked substance that will stick to your pipe causing damage. It's very easy for oil and grease to drip inside your drain. Soon, debris will stick on the fat residue over time, causing a serious blockage. 

Rinsing off the pan after cooking fried foods means that you will be rinsing off these greasy components into your drains. However, instead of rinsing the pans off in the sink, first, drain the fat residue into a disposable tin. This way you can simply toss the gunk in the garbage and use a cleaner sink.  

Installing Drain Screens

Drain screens fit over the opening of your drain and help to prevent hair, soap scum, lint and other forms of gunk from entering your drain. They're a great way of preventing the debris from accumulating in your pipes, leading to a clog. Your kitchen sink, bathroom and shower drain can collect many types of debris. If you have children, the items that can be tossed down the drain are even larger. While you still need to clean your drains, drain screens will allow you to identify slow draining water from your drain screen, remove any dirt causing poor drainage and restore your drainage before the problem escalates. 

Keep Food Debris Out of Your Sinks

Some foods don't belong in the garbage disposal. Things like fruit peels, coffee grounds, eggshells and potato skins are thick or sticky, meaning that they won't grind well in the garbage disposal. Pay close attention to the types of foods that belong in the compost and not in the garbage disposal. 

Flush Your Sinks Often

A common trick that plumbers give is flushing your sink as many times as possible. If you're running your garbage disposal, it would be advantageous to run cold water from the faucet. Running cold water down the sink will help flush down the food debris from the pipes and out of your home without causing a drain. 

Keep Sanitary Products From the Toilets

Unlike toilet paper which disintegrates into your sewer system, materials like diapers are too thick and can damage your entire plumbing system. While some wipes may be labelled as flushable, it is still not always safe for your drain. 

Should you notice a blocked drain, ensure you call a plumber immediately to fix the problem before it escalates.