Although keeping the air quality in our home clean is important all the time, it is especially so in Seattle winter. If you’ve spent your first winter in Seattle, you already know that rain is part of life here. With our windows closed, the moisture and warmth inside our home is a happy environment for bacteria in the drains. For kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, bathtub. But how do we clean the drains? This blog will talk about how to keep indoor air quality clean in Seattle winter.
There are two ways to do this. One is to buy a drain cleaner called Mainline. This has no odor, so you might prefer this for that alone. And it also is effective. The first time you do this, pour 2 cups of Mainline drain cleaner down each drain. (But not the toilet! You can use something else for this.)
Do this at night, so the cleaner has time to work on your drains. In the morning, before you turn on the faucet, boil a pot of water, and pour the boiling water down each drain, followed by hot water from the faucet rinsing the drains thoroughly.
As for the toilet, Bio-kleen has a drain cleaner that’s environmental friendly and effective. And the smell is pleasant. You can squirt this around the rim of the bowl. Let it sit there for maybe 20 minutes or so. Scrub, and flush.
Another method of cleaning the drains is using white vinegar and baking soda.
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down each drain (except for the toilet.) Then pour 2-3 cups of white vinegar on the baking soda to let it fizzle. Wait 20 minutes. Then boil a pot of water and pour it down each drain, followed by hot water from the faucet until the drain is rinsed well.
As for the toilet, lift the tank and pour 2-3 cups of white vinegar into the tank. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then flush as usual.
If you life in an apartment or condo, it is even more important to do these procedures regularly because you’d probably be sharing the same drainage system with your neighbors.
It is a good idea to do this once a week for the first 4 or 5 weeks, then once a month. Some people notice a change in their energy level when they clean their drains regularly. That’s because the air quality of your home is affected by what goes on inside the drains. Try this for a little while and watch what happens.
The article How to stay healthy in Seattle weather goes into depth on this topic.
If you find this blog helpful, here is one on How international students can get more out of school.
Estrella Chan coaches immigrants and international professionals in English fluency, interview skills, and public speaking. To schedule a session with her, please email support@englisharoundtheworld.com
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