Slow draining showers, sinks or baths can be a nuisance, but it’s quite common to have to regularly pour a drain unblocker down to clear the clog. A lot of debris gets washed down our drains which may end up with us having to deal with pooling water, overflowing or bad smells.

Here’s a list of things that may cause your bathroom drains to block.

Sand

A big culprit for anyone living in Cornwall or Devon is sand, if you’re a regular beach-goer or surfer, you probably end up carrying sand all the way into your bathroom after a morning in the sea. This gradually builds up, causing a blockage. If your wetsuit is covered in sand, rinse it outside and try to get as much sand off your body before you hop in the shower.

If sand is causing you a big issue, a drainage specialist will be able to properly clear the blockage by using jetting which is a method that uses high-pressure streams of water to remove build-up and restore pipes.

Hair

Long hair can be a huge inconvenience when it gets stuck in your drain. We shed between 50 to 100 hairs a day, which is enough to create a block that causes even more debris to build up. If you think that hair may be causing a blockage, use a drain snake to pull out the clog. You can also use a drain hair catcher to prevent hair from getting washed down the drain, so you can avoid having to fish hair out of the pipes.

Traditional soaps

Some soaps, such as bar soaps, could be the root of your drainage issues. Some traditional soaps produce a scum residue that can cause a build-up. When the scum is combined with other things like hair and dirt, it can create a clog. Switching to liquid soaps will be much more beneficial, they move through the pipes much easier and don’t cause residue to build up on your counters or tiles.

Make-up

Make-up and cosmetics that are of a powdery substance often stay in the drain when they get washed down, so try to avoid rinsing make-up off down the sink. If you tend to do your make-up while standing over the sink, the excess powder will be falling down and getting washed into your drain. You can also opt to remove your makeup with a cotton pad and put it in the bin to ensure no residue is being washed down.

Aqua Rod provides drainage services in Cornwall and Devon, so if you have a blocked sink, shower or bath, contact our team and we’ll send an experienced member of our team to fix the issue. We have a 24-hour hotline, so whenever you need us, we’ll be on hand to help. Visit our website or call 01209 861099 for more information.

Published by: David Parkes on: September 7th 2021