Assuming someone isn’t allergic to animals, owning a furry friend can be one of the most rewarding parts of a person’s life. Pets can bring endless joy to our lives, but they can be difficult to live with from time to time. After all, pets can be loud, smelly and dirty—three bad traits that you wouldn’t typically look for in a roommate! Unlike a bad roommate, though, pets are usually really furry, which can be a problem for many parts of your home—especially your plumbing system. Here are a few tips to keep your plumbing free from any issues and to avoid the need for drain cleaning in Toronto:
- Watch for hair and fur: The top complaint pet owners have about having a longhaired animal roaming around the house is the constant presence of hair or fur on the ground and in the air. In fact, pet fur is the reason why a lot of people are allergic to dogs or cats. That same fur is also a big reason why we get calls for drain cleaning in Toronto. People wash their dogs in the tub or sink, and all that dirty fur goes down into the drain and eventually turns into a clog. Avoid this issue by purchasing a strainer to put on top of the drain during bath time. They only cost a few dollars at the hardware store and will do wonders to keep nasty hair from getting into the pipes.
- Keep the lid closed: Anyone with a dog has undoubtedly seen Fido drink out of the toilet. It’s absolutely disgusting! But, in his defense, he doesn’t really know better. Unfortunately, drinking that water isn’t just gross—it can also be very harmful to your dog. Residue from powerful toilet cleaners can make dogs really sick. Keep that toilet lid closed and you won’t have any issues with your dog drinking contaminated water.
- Don’t flush cat litter: As a rule, never flush anything down the toilet except toilet paper. Products that claim to be “flushable” usually aren’t, and end up causing major toilet backups and other issues. We’ve found that some brands of cat litter advertise themselves as being flushable. While that would be a nice feature, we’ve found that the litter usually isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Toss your cat litter out with the rest of your garbage!
- Don’t let your pets chew on exposed pipe: Every animal seems to love chewing on things. Nine times out of 10, their favorite chew toys are items like shoes that aren’t meant to be chewed on! That said, a chewed-up shoe is annoying, but it’s not as bad as a chewed-up pipe. Any exposed piping around your home could be a target for your pet’s mouth, and that could be a problem. A pipe with small holes in it could cause major issues with your plumbing.
Follow these tips to help ensure your pets and your pipes both stay safe at all times. But if you run into any issues, give Rooter Group Inc. a call. We’re available around the clock to perform drain cleaning in Toronto, as well as a variety of other emergency services.