Tips to Avoid Clogging the Drain When Bathing Your Dog at Home
Many of us consider our furry, four-legged friends to be a member of the family. Not only do we want our canine companions to have a nice place to eat and sleep, but we also want them to feel clean. Unfortunately, when bathing your dog at home, it can be very easy for the pet hair to become a plumbing issue and contribute to a clogged drain. All dogs shed, even short hair breeds, which means that with the grime, hair, and soap you are begging for a blockage. Luckily these top tips can help you minimize the potential for pet hair clogs and enjoy pet bath time at home.
Brush Regularly
Grooming your dog is an excellent way to bond, but it can also protect your plumbing. Pet stores offer specialized combs and brushes that can allow you to groom the dog’s undercoat, which is the primary source of shedding. Regularly brushing your dog will not only help his/her coat look shiny and healthy, but it can minimize the hair released into your home. Before you get your dog into the bathtub, give him/her a good brush to remove any loose hair and prevent it from going down the drain. A good pre-bath brush will also remove any dried mud or dirt on the coat, so there will be minimal debris in the tub and in your drain pipes.
Always Protect the Drain
It is inevitable that some dog hair will still come loose in the bathwater. Fortunately, this does not necessarily have to make its way into your pipes. You can protect the drain from both human and pet hair with a hair trap. Unfortunately, your dog’s hair may be too fine or short to be fully captured with a hair trap so you may need additional protection.
One good method is to use a baby wipe. Just lay a wipe over the drain in the bathtub and push in the stopper to hold it in place, allowing you to fill up the tub. Bathe your dog as normal, but when you need to drain the tub lay the wipe flat with your hand while you pull out the stopper. This will allow all the water to drain away while the hair will be collected on the wipe.
Consider Hair When You Clean Up
When the bath is done, you are likely to be left with a filthy tub. To avoid a clog, you will need to consider the pet hair while you clean up. Don’t simply allow any hair stuck to the sides of the tub to be rinsed down the drain. Use tissue or kitchen paper to wipe down the sides of the bath and collect any remaining hair. This can then be thrown in the trash. If there is lots of hair remaining in the tub, use another baby wipe to screen the drain while you are cleaning.
While these tips may take a little more time and effort, you will prevent all the pet hair from washing down the drain and causing a major blockage. This will allow you to relax and enjoy bath time with your furry friend, even if he or she has been rolling around in the mud.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solutions.
