What’s The Best Way to Clean Your Drains?

Whether the drainage power of your sink or tub has been lost, you’ve noticed a strange smell, or it’s just time to complete some plumbing maintenance, you may be asking yourself: what’s the best way to clean your home’s plumbing drains?

With so many different drain cleaning methods out there, there’s no wonder why you’re confused!

Luckily, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Wilmington and Brunswick County has decades of local plumbing experience in Wilmington and national experience from our trusted parent company, which allows us to break down various drain cleaning methods, and their cons, and name one better than the rest.

How Often Should Plumbing Drains Be Cleaned?

But first things first, how often should your home’s drains be cleaned? Our Wilmington plumbers recommend that homeowners clean their drains at least once a year. The exact frequency that may be best for your home and family can depend on several factors:

• The age of your plumbing lines and drains
• How often the drains are used
• Plumber’s recommendations
• What ends up going down the drain
• Frequent clogging
• Clogs that pop up over time

If you’re unsure of how often your drains should be cleaned, give Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Wilmington and Brunswick County a call! We’ll complete a full inspection of your home’s plumbing to help you create a maintenance schedule and keep clogs away.

HydroScrub® Jetting Drain Cleaning: The Best Method for Cleaning Drains

While there are dozens of drain cleaning methods, some done by professional plumbers and others done by adventurous DIY plumbers (which we’ll get into more later), we can’t save the best for last.

HydroScrub® jetting, also known as hydro scrubbing, remains one of the most effective ways to clean your drain. The process includes using a video camera to pinpoint any clogs first, then a high-pressure stream of water is used to push the clog along, clean debris, and ensure proper drainage.

Benefits of HydroScrub® jetting your dirty drains includes:

• More Than Just Your Drain – HydroScrub® jetting can handle more than just your dirty drains. It’s safe for your entire plumbing line, blasting away everything in its path.
• Eco-Friendly – HydroScrub® jetting trades in harsh chemicals for water, making it an eco-friendly drain cleaning solution for yourself, your family, and your planet.
• Removes All Debris – Not only will HydroScrub® jetting break clogs down and remove them from your line, but the power of the water stream will also remove the debris and sludge trapped on the walls of your drain, giving you a pipe that’ll look and work like new!
• Fewer Service Calls – Long-lasting results mean you’ll worry less about the state of your drains. Effective cleaning means fewer service calls in the future!

Before & After Results of a HydroScrub® Jetting Drain Cleaning

Enjoy this short video from Mr. Rooter, highlighting the benefits of choosing HydroScrub® jetting over other drain cleaning methods and the superior results you can expect:

Other Drain Cleaning Methods

While HydroScrub® jetting is the best option for your home’s toughest clogs and dirtiest drains, you may be wondering where this leaves other drain cleaning methods:

Chemical Drain Cleaner

While chemical drain cleaners are popular and widely accepted as a good way to quickly unclog a drain, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Wilmington and Brunswick County and countless other plumbers recommend against it. In many cases, the chemicals can cause more harm than good for your pipes, speeding up the need for repair or replacement.

Some cons of using store-bought drain cleaner include:

• The chemical reactions can cause older pipes to degrade and plastic pipes to soften
• A residue will be left behind on the walls of your pipe, leading to more clogs
• Drain cleaners are only effective on certain clogs like food or hair

Vinegar & Baking Soda

The bubbling reaction from baking soda and vinegar can loosen a clog while boiling water will flush the clog away. While this is a tried-and-true method of clearing clogs temporarily, it doesn’t provide enough force to break down severe clogs, nor does it remove the debris left behind. This will only provide temporary relief and lead to more clogs in your sink.

Using a Drain Snake

A common tool for professional and DIY plumbers is the drain snake. But, while it may help break apart clogs close to your drain, it won’t remove the rest of the debris, making it not the best choice for preventive care.

Using a Plunger

Like a drain snake, plungers aren’t designed to provide a long-lasting solution to dirty drains. A plunger is incredibly useful to get water flowing again, especially in the case of a stopped-up sink or toilet, but other methods should be used to make sure the chance of clogs reoccurring is minimized.

Have Your Drains Cleaned by Our Wilmington Plumbers

If you’re dealing with dirty or slow drains, turn to Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Wilmington and Brunswick County for help. We offer a wide range of drain cleaning services that can remove any and all build-up from your plumbing system, including:

• Soap scum
• Tree roots
• Pest
• Mineral deposits
• Food debris
• Oils
• Wet wipes
• Toilet paper

Our Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Wilmington and Brunswick County plumbers will routinely clean any drains in your home from the bathroom to the kitchen and everything in between – even your sewer drains! Once you’re ready to schedule your drain cleaning service with our team or learn more about the drain cleaning methods we offer, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Give our Wilmington plumbers a call today or contact us online to schedule your drain cleaning service.