Why Should You Pour Salt Down Your Drain At Night?

Why should you pour salt down your drain at night? Is it for cleaning purposes or unclogging the drains? If you’re curious what salt does in your drain, then this guide is exactly what you need!

Some people like winters, whereas others hate them. Regardless of your feelings about winter, you have to understand that the cold eventually leads to one of the best days in the year: Christmas.

But, you have to understand that as the temperatures start to drop, you are likely to face a variety of other problems. For starters, you may begin to experience issues with the pipes and the drains.

A blockage in the pipes could cause a series of problems, including preventing you from taking those hot showers that you love so much. In some situations, you will have to close off the water as you want for the problem to resolve itself.

Why Should You Pour Salt Down Your Drain At Night?

If the pipes continue to clog on a daily basis, you might want to consider using a bit of salt to clean out the pipes. This method works great on all kinds of drains, including the tubs, the showers, sinks, and virtually all else.

You don’t need to invest in a lot of expensive cleaners; you just need a small amount of baking powder, some vinegar, and some salt. Along with that, you are going to need a small jug of boiling water as well.

Before you go to bed overnight, you will want to pour these things down the drain. If you are wondering why you should do this in the night, it’s because the solution will have more time to work its magic.

People don’t use their drains, especially the shower or kitchen drains, as often at night, so it’s generally a wise idea to carry this step out at night.

Before you sleep, just pour the salt and the baking powder in the drain pipes. Then, add a bit of vinegar and allow the mixture to foam up for at least a minute.

You will notice the bubbles brewing in the drains where these substances mix in the water. Then, you just need to flush it with the boiling water.

Why Use These Substances?

Each of these substances play an important role. The salt is going to break down all of the emulsified fats and the grease that sets in, thus allowing it all to flush in the pipes. The vinegar and the hot water facilitate the movement of the water through the drain pipes.

The solution is going to work its magic overnight and is going to break down all of these blockages. It’s important for you to make sure that you care for the drains if you want to avoid these issues again and again.

What About Other Solutions?

Thankfully, there are a host of other solutions that you can try as well. Obviously, these are the least expensive options available to you because all of the things are most probably found in kitchens around the globe.

On the other hand, if you go to your local home maintenance store, you can buy drain cleaners as well. These contain a complex mix of chemicals that are designed to break down the fats and the hardened substances that cause a blockage in the pipes.

But, what causes the blockages? More importantly, are there any steps that you can take to reduce the chances of a pipe blockage in your house?

The modern plumbing system is quite efficient and designed to run with minimal human input. There are several steps that you can take to prevent the pipes from clogging up.

A mixture of salt is generally a good idea to cut down on all the hair products and the fats, but you should know that there are other things that can cause major blockages in the pipes. Here are a few simple steps that you need to take to avoid a clog in your pipes.

Avoid Pouring Cooking Oil

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is pouring cooking oil down their drain pipes after they are done cooking. Cooking oil is made from a variety of different substances, and is generally quite viscous.

This creates a problem because the oil will eventually harden as water is mixed in, and could eventually create a blockage. You have to make sure that you avoid this from happening.

Thankfully, the best way to deal with this situation is to make use of a coffee jar or any other old container that you have. Fill it up with the used cooking oil, and then chuck it in the bin.

Coffee Beans

Another mistake that people make is that they put coffee beans down their drain pipes. Ideally, you should chuck all the ground beans away in a bin, or if you like gardening and have a compost pile, you should consider putting the coffee beans in the pile.

It’s an excellent way to improve the effectiveness of your compost pile without putting in a lot of money. If you want to avoid blockages in the drain pipes, it’s highly recommended that you install a strainer and a kitchen disposal unit.

A strainer is going to help in catching all the bits of food that are likely to get stuck in the drain pipes, thus saving you trouble later on.

What Happens If the Pipes Get Blocked?

A blockage in the drain pipes could lead to serious problems in the long run. If you are not careful, this blockage is only going to grow with time, thus leading to other problems.

The pressure in the pipes is going to increase rapidly, and this is going to eventually cause the pipes to burst. Avoid throwing hair in the pipes or any other solid things that are likely to get stuck.

These are just a few things that you should know about keeping the drain pipes neat and clean. As long as you take these things into account, you won’t have much to worry about!