By It’s not always necessary to plunk down your hard-earned cash to fix plumbing troubles—just give one of these expert tricks a try first!
Stop a running toilet with a microfiber cloth
The flapper is what regulates the water level in your tank, explains plumber Stephany Smith of Roto-Rooter Plumbing. “After a lot of flushing, the rubber on the flapper can get dirty and stop sealing properly, which is what causes the toilet to run.” To keep the seal tight, simply rub it with a microfiber cloth about once a month to prevent mineral deposits from corroding the seal.
Quiet a drip with string
While you likely need to replace the washer in your faucet to stop the dripping for good, a simple string trick can help you maintain your sanity in the meantime. “Take a string and tie it around the faucet so it dangles into the drip,” says plumber Allison Harrison. “Make sure it’s long enough to lead into your drain. Water has magnetic qualities, so the drip will cling to the string and follow it down to the drain, putting an end to that ‘plop plop plop!’”
Clear toilet clogs with a soapy water flush
To bust a clog, “shut off the water to the toilet and flush so the bowl empties and doesn’t refill,” says Smith. “Next, pour 1 cup of dish soap into the bowl and let it sit for an hour to break up debris.” Then pour 1⁄2 gallon of hot (not boiling) water into the bowl and flush. Your pipes should now be clog-free!
Keep your shower drain clear with a clothes hanger
While picking up a mesh drain cover is a great idea, over time hair still has a way of getting into pipes. The solution? “Grab a wire hanger and straighten it, then squeeze the hook at the end until it’s narrow enough to fit into your drain,” advises Harrison. “Now carefully insert it into the drain and spin it around. The hook will snare hair gumming up the system and pull it out.”
Prevent kitchen sink backups with a salt scrub
If your sink drain is sluggish, pour 1⁄2 cup of coarse salt down the drain followed by 1 qt. of hot water once a month, says Andrew Hancock of Gilman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. “Salt is slightly abrasive, helping ‘scrub’ the pipes, while the hot water loosens stuck-on grime.”
