![\"drain-with-chain-plug\"](\"https:\/\/www.modernpi.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/drain-with-chain-plug-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>e that may lead to stopping them up that we could make a list of drain clog sources that was just about small plastic pieces from toys and packaging material.<\/p>\nFor this list, we\u2019re going to limit ourselves to only the four most common reasons drains might clog. We\u2019re focusing only on clogging that occurs right down in the drain itself, not sewer line issues such as root infiltration. We also won\u2019t include pipe-misalignment, which sometimes occurs in older homes, because this is a pipe replacement issue, not a drain cleaning one<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to stop soap from going down drains in the kitchen and bathrooms. Shower and bathtub drains in particular experience plenty of soap sluiced down them almost daily. Over time, soap scum will start to build-up on the drain walls, and it can become enough to slow down water flow and eventually stop it completely. Soap scum can also cause chemical reactions with the metal of a drainpipe, so cleaning it out helps protect the plumbing as well as clear the drain.<\/p>\n A drain cover will help stop hair from going down drains (just make sure you clean the covers routinely), but a hair clog can still develop down in the p-trap or the drain. Hair clogs are among the most obstinate and difficult to remove using standard plungers, and often you\u2019ll need the assistance of professional drain cleaning to fix the problem.<\/p>\n Collectively known as FOG, these cooking liquids are the bane of a kitchen drain. People often think they\u2019re harmless, because they are in liquid form when hot. But as FOG cools down because of air from the drain vent pipes, it turns into a sticky and viscous substance that will build-up on pipe walls. Thorough drain cleaning using a hydro-jetter<\/a> is the best way to get rid of this build-up. FOG accumulation is one of the reasons we recommend routine kitchen drain cleaning each year.<\/p>\n If your home has hard water, the minerals from it can build-up on pipe walls\u2014not just in your drains, but freshwater pipes around the house. The pipes will need to be descaled to fix this problem. We recommend you look into having a whole-house water softener installed to attack this problem at the root, since it causes many other types of plumbing issues.<\/p>\n1. Soap scum<\/h3>\n
2. Hair<\/h3>\n
3. Fats, oils, and grease<\/h3>\n
4. Hard water mineral build-up<\/h3>\n