How Often Should I Clean Drains In My Home?

In general, you should deep clean your home drains every one to two months. That means actually using some kind of cleaning method and not just rinsing with hot water. If you live in a busy household (lots of cooking, showers, hair, grease, soap scum, etc.), doing it once a month is ideal. For smaller households or places you don’t use much, every two to three months is fine. But again, it depends on what drains you are dealing with. Let’s find out all about it in this article.

Kitchen Drains

Kitchen drains take a lot of abuse every single day. You rinse plates, wash greasy pans, and sometimes bits of food slip through. In time, that combo of grease, oil, soap residue, and food scraps sticks to the inside of the pipe. It does not take long before the drain starts smelling bad or water begins to flow more slowly than usual. 

You should clean your kitchen drain at least once a month. If your sink is used heavily, every two weeks is even better. Here’s how:

1. Run hot tap water down the drain to loosen up anything sitting in the pipe.
2. Then, pour 1 small cup of baking soda into the problematic drain and follow it with one cup of vinegar. You’ll hear fizzing, which means it’s breaking down the grime inside the pipe.

3. Let it sit for about fifteen to twenty minutes so the reaction can work through the buildup.
4. Run hot water to flush the drain and to push out all the loosened grease and food particles.

Another hack is to simply pour hot enough water down the drain in a week. Just make sure the water is not boiling, because the high temperatures can damage the pipe seals gradually.

If the drain still stinks, remove the sink strainer and scrub it with dish soap using an old toothbrush. Also, avoid pouring leftover oil, gravy, or coffee grounds down the sink. These things harden and stick to the pipe walls, which traps every small food particle that passes through. Instead, collect grease in a jar or wipe it off pans with a paper towel before washing your dishes. That small habit can save you from bigger problems later.

Bathroom Drains

Bathroom drains are one of those spots that quietly collect all sorts of mess without you noticing. Every shower sends down hair, soap, shampoo, and small bits of dirt that slowly stick to the sides of the pipe. So if your shower or sink starts draining slowly or you catch a weird odor, that’s usually your cue for drain cleaning.

Try to give bathroom drains a quick clean every two weeks or so and a deeper one about once a month.

1. Remove the drain cover or stopper and pull out any visible hair or gunk with a pair of tweezers.
2. Rinse the drain with hot tap water for a minute to wash away loosened debris.
3. Take 1/2 a cup of hydrogen peroxide, pour it into the drain, and let it sit for fifteen minutes. It helps break down organic matter and disinfects without strong fumes.
4. Follow that with an enzyme-based drain cleaner (these contain natural bacteria that eat away hair and soap residue). Let it sit overnight for the best results.
5. In the morning, flush the drain thoroughly with hot water to clear out loosened residue and remaining cleaner.

If you still sense a smell, it might be coming from the plug hole or the outer area of the drain rather than deep inside. In that case, grab an old toothbrush and scrub the edges with a bit of dish soap.

It’s also worth having a small drain catcher or hair strainer on top of your shower drain. It’s a cheap little thing, but it traps hair before it clogs the drain pipe.

Laundry & Utility Drains

The nature of dirt is different in laundry and utility drains. It’s not just hair or grease, it’s a sticky film of soap + lint + minerals, plus sometimes lint blocks. Along with that, hard water can also be the cause of mineral buildup. So again, a different approach. You should clean these drains every two to three months. To do so: 

1. Pull the washing machine a little forward so you can reach the drain pipe on the wall or floor. This is the main drain where the hose empties water from the washer. Check that there’s no lint or gunk around the opening before starting.

2. Run an empty hot-water cycle with no clothes inside your machine. This pushes hot water through the hose and into the drain, which helps loosen soap film and detergent residue that has settled inside the pipe.
3. After the hot cycle, pour half a cup of baking soda down the specific drain and follow with a cup of white vinegar. Wait for 15 – 20 minutes, then flush with hot water. 

Every few months, disconnect (if you can safely) the drain hose or lift it up and flush it out manually (if accessible) or use a flexible brush or hose to rinse it clean of lint and sludge. Since lint clogs are significant here, manual cleaning helps.

And finally, make it a habit: use a lint catcher or mesh filter at the end of your washer drain hose, avoid using too much detergent, and do not dump greasy or oily clothes in the wash without pre-treatment. These habits reduce the film that sticks in the drain.

Floor Drains & Rarely Used Drains

Floor drains don’t get much attention until something smells bad or water starts pooling around them. They’re mostly in basements, garages, or laundry areas, and their job is to catch excess water and direct it safely away. Because these drains don’t get used very often, the water inside their traps can evaporate, which allows air or sewer gas to sneak up through the pipe. That’s usually what causes the bad smell.

Floor drains and unused drains should be cleaned every one to two months. Doing this keeps the trap filled with water and prevents the buildup of dust, soap, and small debris that might block the outlet.

Here are a few ways to maintain them properly:

1. Pour about one gallon of water directly into the drain every few weeks to keep the trap seal filled. If the trap dries out, air moves up through the pipe, which is where the odor starts.
2. Mix a simple cleaner of warm water and dish soap, then scrub the metal grate or drain cover using an old brush. This clears away dust, dirt, and gunk that usually collects on top.
3. If the drain smells bad or drains slowly, pour a cup of enzymatic drain cleaner or a few spoonfuls of baking soda, followed by hot water. 
4. Check around the area for debris like lint, pet hair, or dust bunnies. Sweep or vacuum around the drain to keep things from getting pushed inside.
5. For drains that rarely get used, pour a tablespoon of mineral oil into the drain after adding water. The oil floats on top and slows down evaporation, which keeps the trap wet longer.

Final Say 

Now you know how often you should clean drains in your home. Most of these fixes are simple enough, and you can DIY with stuff you already have at home. But if your drains are still slow, or that clog refuses to move no matter what you try, that’s when it’s time to call in the pros. 

California Coast Plumbers deal with stubborn blockages every day, and they have the right tools to clear up what DIY methods can’t. They’ll get your pipes running smoothly again without any guesswork or mess.