Many people love bath bombs as a way to transform their baths into a stress-relieving, sweet-smelling experience. While dropping a bath bomb into your bath can help to smooth away the stress from a long day, doing so can also cause plumbing problems. Depending on the ingredients of your bath bomb, you might be left to deal with a clogged bathtub drain. J.W. Freeman Plumbing in Gainesville, Florida can help you avoid common plumbing problems so that you can avoid the headaches that are involved with clogged drains and other issues.
What bath bombs contain
Typically, bath bombs are made out of oils, scents, and salts to create a relaxing, colorful, and fragrant spa-like bathing experience. Bath bombs commonly contain Epsom salt to soothe muscle aches and baking soda. While these two ingredients dissolve well in water, other bath bomb ingredients do not dissolve well. These other ingredients might include things like cornstarch, essential oils, flowers, cocoa butter, and glitter. Extra ingredients that do not dissolve well in water can leave behind a residue that can cling to the interior of your pipes. As oils cool, they tend to solidify. Cornstarch can harden in the curves or elbows of your pipes when it dries. As time passes, these types of deposits can collect hair, soap, and other substances and cause clogs to form.
Keeping your pipes clear when you use bath bombs
While bath bombs can cause clogs to form over time, you do not have to forgo using them. Instead, you can take a few simple steps to keep your pipes clear and everything flowing as it should.
When you use a bath bomb, try using a barrier to keep the ingredients from flushing down your drain. Hopefully, your bathtub stopper will have a strainer to keep larger particles from entering the drain. For better protection, place your bath bomb inside of a nylon sock. Tie off the sock before you place it in the water. This will allow the good ingredients to disperse in your bath water while keeping the clog-forming ingredients contained.
If you really enjoy seeing floating flowers and glitter in your water, you should be prepared to take a few extra steps. Before you drain your bathtub, place fine mesh netting to catch the solids. If you can, remove your stopper and add a layer of mesh screen to the strainer. If you do this, you might need to weigh down the strainer as your water drains.
Right after you use a bath bomb, thoroughly flush the drain with hot water. You can also use a solution of vinegar and baking soda to help the residue break up before it settles in your pipes. To do this, pour one cup of baking soda in your drain and add one to two cups of white vinegar to it. Cover your drain and let it sit for around five minutes. Finally, flush the drain with hot water.
Can you use a bath bomb in a hot tub?
While the thought of using bath bombs in your hot tub might sound tempting, you shouldn’t do so. The ingredients in bath bombs can clog the hoses and the jets, and the oils can damage some of the components. Review the manufacturer’s recommendations before you use anything that is not specifically designed to be used in hot tubs. If you do not follow the manufacturer’s guidelines, you could void the warranty.
Get help from J.W. Freeman Plumbing for slow drains
Now that you know that using bath bombs can clog your drains, you might have an answer to why your tub is draining so slowly. This means that you likely already have a clog in your pipes. While you could use a chemical drain cleaner to try to eliminate a clog, doing so is bad for the environment. The best bet is to call J.W. Freeman Plumbing to unclog your drain and clear your pipes.
The professionals at J.W. Freeman Plumbing serve people in Gainesville, Florida and throughout the surrounding area. Our professional staff members have more than 50 years of combined experience offering plumbing solutions. If you have a clogged drain, waiting to fix it will only make the problem worse. Contact us today to schedule an appointment by calling us at 352.316.3229 or by filling out our online contact form.
J.W. Freeman Plumbing – Gainesville Local Drain Cleaners | 4637 NW 6th St | Gainesville, FL 32609 | (352) 316-3229
