The COVID-19 pandemic has sent numerous Americans home. And with all (or most) family members staying indoors most of the time means you have to prepare more food, there is more laundry to take care of and of course, the toilets are overused. Moreover, given the current state of stress that everyone is experiencing, dealing with plumbing problems is probably the last thing you want right now.
However, there is a positive aspect of the pandemic that people rarely talk about. Fortunately, it has given us an opportunity to enjoy the little blessings in life. And as you are spending more time maintaining social distance, this gives you all the time and energy to do some extensive plumbing tasks that you would have never thought of doing otherwise. If you think plumbing tasks may be complicated and require specialized equipment, think again. Here we have 4 great plumbing (cleaning) ideas that you can easily execute during the quarantine. Each of these cleaning ideas is fairly simple and quick, and does not require many tools. Let’s get started.
Clean Your Drains
Clogged drains are a common plumbing concern but the problem does not arise overnight. It takes a lot of time before the buildup in your pipes begins to create a problem of clogged drains. While the best way to deal with the situation is to prevent it from happening, you can always take preventive measures. Try and use a drain screen that can prevent hair and leftover food particles from getting into the drain.
However, if there is already a build-up in your drains, now is the time to clean it.
What You Need?
- Drain Snake
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar and...
- Boiling water
For all the drains in your house, including kitchen, laundry, and bathroom, use a drain snake. It rotates and helps physically dislodge any clogs in your drain. Following this step, use baking soda and vinegar and let hot water run through all the drains in your house. And your drains will be good to go!
How to Do it?
Pour in 2 heaped tablespoons of baking soda along with ½ cup of vinegar and let the mixture sit in your drains for 30 minutes. Do the same for all the drains in your house and pour hot boiling water. The vinegar and soda mixture will help break down buildups in your pipes and you can flush it off with hot water.
Clean Your Traps
If you are unaware of what a trap is, take a look beneath your sink. The curved pipe that connects the drains to the sewer pipe in your trap. These traps are available in a variety of shapes including u-traps, s-traps and p-traps. The idea behind the curved shape is to retain some water that you flush down the drain. This water acts as a seal that inhibits the sewer gases from rising back into the drains and eventually in your bathrooms. While these traps are designed to trap some water and prevent the backflow of gases, there is a lot of other stuff that gets trapped in there.
Fortunately, it is easy to clean these traps.
What You Need?
- Wrench
- Rubber gloves
How to Do it?
All you have to do is to locate the trap under your sink. Usually, traps are connected through nuts which can be easily removed using hand or a wrench. Now empty all the contents of the trap into a bucket and rinse it thoroughly. Using the same steps that you used to unscrew the trap, fix your trap again, and tighten the nuts.
Showerhead Cleaning
No!
That is not just your imagination.
Your shower is actually a lot less efficient than it used to be.
And there are good reasons for it. Over time, minerals, and scale may build up in your showerhead. And the problem is worst in areas with a hard water supply. But there is always a solution to every problem and when it comes to inefficient showerheads, the solution lies in cleaning.
What You Need?
The same old
- Baking soda
- Vinegar and...
- Boiling water is all you need along with
- An old toothbrush
How to Do it?
Ideally, you should disconnect your showerhead and submerge it in a mixture of baking soda, vinegar and water. Let it soak in this mixture for 30 minutes and scrub the nozzles using an old toothbrush. If you cannot detach the showerhead, you can simply tie a bag around the showerhead that contains the cleaning mixture such that the nozzles are immersed in it. Again, give it some time before you scrub the nozzles using a toothbrush.
Clean Out the Mold Growth in Your Bathroom Corners
Mold thrives in a damp environment and the bathroom provides the ideal conditions for mold growth. Just like clogs, the best way to deal with mold is to prevent it. You can do so by keeping your bathroom dry and ventilated. However, in case you are late and there is already an established mold growth in your bathroom, now is the time to clean it before it leads to serious health consequences.
What You Need?
- Vinegar
- Tile cleaner and...
- A coarse scrub brush
How to Do it?
Generously use a tile cleaner and scrub it with the brush. Additionally, use vinegar in a spray bottle and apply it directly over mold growth. Let it rest for 15 minutes before you give your bathroom a deep scrub.
Here is an Option!
If you have the energy, now is the best time to get started with plumbing jobs. But if you are too stressed out dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and do not have the time and energy to do any of our suggested cleaning tasks, don’t worry. You are not alone and we are here to help. Mesa Plumbing is still operating while following strict protocols. We offer preventive maintenance and also deal with all sorts of plumbing emergencies. To schedule an appointment or to find out more about how we are operating call now at 480-832-1660 or visit our website. Stay home, stay healthy.