How to clean your drain

In order to clean the drain, there are a few things you should have in hand such as: dishwashing gloves, a garbage bag for hair and dirt, a dishwashing brush or similar to scrub off the water trap and any drain cleaner.

1. Put on dishwashing gloves and pick up the drain grate.
2. Remove any hair and dirt that may have accumulated over the water trap.
3. Then loosen the water trap, this is usually a cup with a lid and handle. Take it up, remove any hair and grease residue, rinse and scrub well until it is clean and put it back in place.
4. If there is a lot of hair and dirt in the pipe itself, remove this and then rinse well, preferably with boiling water.
5. When all the parts are properly cleansed, put the water trap back in place. Test with running water to see if it fits properly and to make sure the water runs off.

How often the drain must be cleaned:
A good rule is to clean drains, kitchen fans and valves at least four times a year. Do it at each season change and it's easy to keep in mind.

If you live together with more people in a collective or are a larger family, the cleaning may need to be done more frequently as more people mean more hair and soap residue in the shower than if you live alone.

Also remember that general maintenance and cleaning along the way will save you time when moving.