Clogs are one of the most common plumbing problems most people encounter. After all, drain pipes are only so wide, and it’s easy to overestimate just how much they can handle. Allowing clogs to build up cold become quite the problem, and a bathroom or kitchen plumber may be needed.

The good news is that avoiding clogs can be quite simple. The main thing is to keep “clog-causers” like the items below out of your drains.

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1. Grease and Cooking Fat

Grease has a nasty habit of solidifying down in your drain pipes. As it congeals, it coats your pipes’ walls and starts to form stubborn clogs with other substances trying to pass through your pipes. The grease that makes it out of your home to the municipal sewer can cause problems there as well, such as the “fatbergs” that are creating huge financial burdens on cities here and overseas.

2. Coffee Grounds

We love our coffee here in Seattle, but our plumbing systems could definitely stand to go decaf. Coffee grounds may seem to go down your garbage disposal just fine, but those tiny granules have a knack for sticking inside the components and clogging your drain lines.

Eco-Friendly Tip: Instead of pouring used coffee grounds down the drain or into the trash, sprinkle them over your indoor or outdoor plants to fertilize them.

3. “Flushable” Wipes

Is a “flushable” wipe truly flushable? Short answer: no. Even though flushable wipes and other wet wipes might seem similar to toilet paper and harmless enough to flush, they’re made to hold their shape when wet for a long time, whereas toilet paper is made to break down quickly. See the difference for yourself in this video!

4. Paper Towels

Paper towels are highly absorbent and are made of sturdier material than toilet paper. These qualities make them much harder to flush and much more likely to cause a clog.

Eco-Friendly Tip: Rather than using paper towels, which cause problems for recycling plants, try products that you can reuse, like textile cloths or Swedish dishcloths.

5. Hair

Hair–we’ve all got it, and we all lose it, and the one place you definitely don’t want it to go is your drainage system. Along with grease, hair is one of the top clog-causers because of how it mats and catches other items in your drain pipes. Make sure your sinks, tubs, and showers are equipped with drain guards that are easy to clean, like the stainless steel TubShroom.

6. Floss

Floss seems harmless enough, but it causes a lot more clogs than you think because of the way it tangles. By all means, continue to floss, but save yourself a visit from a plumber by throwing your used floss in your bathroom wastebasket.

7. Bath Bomb “Shrapnel”

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a foamy, fragrant bath bomb at the end of a long day. That being said, the flower petals, herbs, and decorations that float to the water’s surface can contribute to clogs down the road. When you’re done soaking, quickly replace your tub’s plug with a drain guard to keep any stray pieces from the bath bomb out of your home’s plumbing.

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Think you might have a clog forming?

If you hear a gurgle coming from below your sink, shower, or tub, or if water drains slowly from these areas, there could be a clog-in-the-making in one or more of your drain pipes. A bad smell coming from the drain is another typical sign. If you suspect you have a clog, you can count on the eco-friendly plumbers at Green Planet Plumbing & Sewer, LLC to get to the root of the problem. Call (206) 207-7625 to schedule drain cleaning services in Seattle, WA today!