Have you ever experienced a blocked drain that overflows? If so, you already know how bad the smell is. When you're keen to avoid a repeat of your experience, you need to know how to treat your drains well. At Fluid Plumbing, we're here to tell you how to avoid the causes of a blocked drain.

Don't flush cooking oil and food particles down the sink

The drains that connect directly to your kitchen sink suffer a lot of abuse. If you're in the habit of pouring cooking oil down there, you're asking for a blockage.

Cooking oil doesn't move as smoothly as water does. As a result, it remains stagnant and attracts food particles towards it. This then causes a clog to form, which could cause stinky backflow.

To prevent this from happening, dispose of cooking oil in a container and throw it in the bin. Additionally, scrape food off plates thoroughly before rinsing them under the tap.

Watch out for soap, toiletries, and hair

You can't be expected to abstain from toiletries and hair care altogether. But you can take steps towards making sure they don't clump together and cause a blockage that's difficult to remove.

Avoid toiletries that contain microbeads, as they gather over time and form blockages. Don't flush wet wipes down the toilet, and consider switching to reusable makeup remover pads rather than flushing cotton ones. Finally, add a shower guard to your shower to catch hair that could cause a blockage.

Dispose of cat litter responsibly

Seeing as your cat urinates in their litter, you may be tempted to flush it. But as cat litter is far heavier than any of the organic matter you produce, it won't be going much further than the U-bend when you flush the toilet.

Instead, bag your cat litter up and throw it in the bin. If the stench bothers you, find a deodorising version so you're not tempted to flush it.

Keep an eye on your kids

Children are curious creatures, so it stands to reason that they may want to see if their toys can swim. Unfortunately, a readily available target for such activities is your toilet. When they force a foreign object down there, it's sometimes difficult to fish it back out.

You can't watch your little ones on a 24/7 basis. But if you do catch them taking their Barbie for a swim, try explaining that it isn't a great idea.

Call a plumber for hidden causes

Sometimes you'll face a blocked drain despite your best efforts. If you live in a hard water area, this could involve limescale gathering along the pipes. And no matter where you live, there's always a risk that a tree root will make its way through the pipe and cause havoc.

Such deep causes are impossible to tackle alone. As plumbers use CCTV cameras to inspect drains, they can identify what the problem is and remove it quickly.

If preventative measures don't prevent your drain from becoming blocked, call a plumber. They'll address the problem promptly and advise you on how to prevent it from happening again.