The back-to-school season is upon us and that means chaos! The lazy schedule of summer is over, and it is now time to get meals cleaned-up, grooming done, and showers taken all on time. Everyone in the home has somewhere to be at a specific time now that school is in session, but that is not a reason to take shortcuts when it comes to using your plumbing system. In fact, during this busy time of year it is important more than ever to be thoughtful about how you use the plumbing in your home. Here are some things to be considerate of:
- When preparing dinner don’t take a shortcut by shoving a bunch of food scraps down the garbage disposal rather than taking them to the trash can. The result will be a clogged pipe under your sink, which will require the plumbing to be taken apart and cleaned out. This process will definitely get dinner to the table later than you want. Keep things like potato peels, noodles, rice, and other starchy foods out of the disposal.
- Nighttime showers are a favorite for kids because it means a little extra sleep in the morning. But, 80% of accidents in the home happen in the bathroom due to a wet and slippery floor. Make sure that no one is rushing in and out of the bathroom when taking a shower or, leaving a shower. This can create an extremely hazardous situation and a trip to the ER will quickly bring things to a halt in your home.
- Make sure that everyone knows to run the fan in the bathroom. It’s a good idea to keep the fan running until everyone has had their shower or bath and teeth are brushed. The condensation that accumulates in the air will land on a surface such as the countertop or toilet bowl and, if not dried up, will attract mildew and mold growth.
These tips are good rules of thumb all year around, but during the back-to-school season, it seems we are less aware of them because we are caught up in the need to stay on schedule. Make these tips a priority to keep everyone in your home safe and on time.