Can I jump in on the drain thread, please?
When I worked in the hospital the drains near our department (downwind of the kitchens) would always block. Fatbergs from some of the lazy staff that would pour fat down when the rest weren't looking.
The ground staff had to clean it up but had continuous problems with the fat. The one thing I learnt about drains from them was that vinegar won't cut the amount of scum/grease from a normal household and forget about the satisfying chemical reaction you get from pouring it on top of bicarb. It's a simple chemical reaction that looks a lot more than it does and is not a detergent.
Soda crystals and hot water will do the trick for the average house but you sometimes need more than a kettle. The heat and detergent do the trick. Check out www.dri-pak.co.uk for cleaning uses with soda crystals, vinegar, etc.
I keep my drains clear out of habit (and fear of a blockage!) but I will still get whiffs now and then. I find biological washing powder good for those as the enzymes will eat at the little greasy grotty bits like hair and the bits that get trapped in them. I've had success with those enzyme sticks, too, but tend to save them to drop in my plug holes when I know they're not going to be used for a while (great if you're going away for a few days).
Good drain cleaners that are the proper strong lye or alkaline types are hard to get hold of these days so read the labels. A lot are enzyme-based and are good if they can be left to sit a good while but the alkaline ones will eat hair and any other binders that hold the gunk in a lump.
My advice for anyone with regular blocks would be to use hair-catchers and a regular dose of soda and hot water or drain cleaner to prevent the problem getting out of hand - and hope the problem isn't a neighbour on a shared drain putting baby wipes, sanitary pads and other things they shouldn't down their toilet (been there, done that, got the t-shirt). Luckily, they actually listened to the water board bloke who came to clean the blockage from our shared drain.
When I worked in the hospital the drains near our department (downwind of the kitchens) would always block. Fatbergs from some of the lazy staff that would pour fat down when the rest weren't looking.
The ground staff had to clean it up but had continuous problems with the fat. The one thing I learnt about drains from them was that vinegar won't cut the amount of scum/grease from a normal household and forget about the satisfying chemical reaction you get from pouring it on top of bicarb. It's a simple chemical reaction that looks a lot more than it does and is not a detergent.
Soda crystals and hot water will do the trick for the average house but you sometimes need more than a kettle. The heat and detergent do the trick. Check out www.dri-pak.co.uk for cleaning uses with soda crystals, vinegar, etc.
I keep my drains clear out of habit (and fear of a blockage!) but I will still get whiffs now and then. I find biological washing powder good for those as the enzymes will eat at the little greasy grotty bits like hair and the bits that get trapped in them. I've had success with those enzyme sticks, too, but tend to save them to drop in my plug holes when I know they're not going to be used for a while (great if you're going away for a few days).
Good drain cleaners that are the proper strong lye or alkaline types are hard to get hold of these days so read the labels. A lot are enzyme-based and are good if they can be left to sit a good while but the alkaline ones will eat hair and any other binders that hold the gunk in a lump.
My advice for anyone with regular blocks would be to use hair-catchers and a regular dose of soda and hot water or drain cleaner to prevent the problem getting out of hand - and hope the problem isn't a neighbour on a shared drain putting baby wipes, sanitary pads and other things they shouldn't down their toilet (been there, done that, got the t-shirt). Luckily, they actually listened to the water board bloke who came to clean the blockage from our shared drain.
