Your poor shower. With the massive amounts of oily shampoos, body washes, skin cells, and hair you send down the drain, it’s frankly amazing that it doesn’t clog up more often than it does.
All things considered, your plumbing is pretty reliable given the massive challenge it faces every day. But your shower habits aren’t doing it or your bathroom any favors.
For the sake of your pipes, floor, and walls, you need to change your bad showering ways. Follow these tips to prevent clogs, mildew, and other costly repairs.
Retire Your Shower Caddy
Your showerhead wasn’t intended to bear the load of a caddy weighted down with 20 pounds of conditioner. Those 40 oz bottles of shampoo, plus the shaving cream, face wash, body wash, loofah, and other toiletries are putting a tremendous amount of stress on the fixture. Over time, your showerhead will bend, break or crack the surrounding tile.
For a better storage solution, consider a free-standing caddy. Some models offer floor-to-ceiling storage capacity with multiple shelves to keep all of your shower time essentials organized.
Ventilate
Who doesn’t love a long hot shower? We’re not going to stop you from enjoying this luxury, but do your bathroom a favor and open a window and turn on the exhaust fan. Excess moisture stimulates mold growth and can eventually damage the drywall, trim and cabinetry. So turn off the fan only after the steam has completely dissipated.
Pro tip: To reduce the amount of steam produced by your shower, fill the tub with an inch of cold water prior to taking a hot shower. The cold water will counteract the steam from the hot water.
Soften the Water
It’s called hard water for a reason: It’s hard on your plumbing. Scale on your fixtures and stall is not only unsightly, deposits can completely block your plumbing and even cause corrosion. Plus, it’s hard on your skin and your hair. A water treatment service can balance your water, making it softer. Your showers will be easier on your plumbing and your body.
Use a Drain Trap
When hair, skin cells, and soap scum combine, they create a tough clog that only becomes more powerful as it binds more gunk going down the drain. Hair is the main culprit here as it creates an effective catch-all for oils and other debris. Prevent blockages with a drain protector. It will catch the bulk of hair before going down the pipe. Be sure to clean it out regularly.
There is a Right Way to Use Bath Mats
Don’t overlook the importance of bath mats. Not only do they provide a layer of protection between your freshly showered feet and the cold floor, but they also prevent slips and falls. What they are not intended for, however, is to soak up all that water as you towel off. Soggy bath mats are a haven for mildew.
Do this instead: Keep a towel within arm’s reach of the shower. Dry off in the shower before stepping out of the tub or stall.
Bottom line: Follow these steps to keep mold and mildew at bay and prevent drains from clogging. But if you do encounter plumbing problems, contact Ken’s Plumbing at 516-882-3390.