Laundry Room Plumbing Maintenance For Fall

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Many households are using these first few weeks of November to get ready for out of town guests. Whether this means cleaning up the outside of your home and getting the landscaping in top condition or, preparing guest rooms for overnight visitors work around the house is definitely needed after a relaxing summer break.

When the weather is warm outside most people are hesitant to do any major cleaning type activities. It is a much greater priority to be outdoors enjoying time in the sunshine. However, the warm weather is far behind us and now is the time to retreat indoors and get those nagging little household repairs and chores taken care of. Not the least of which is your plumbing system.

Follow these tips for keeping both of these items in top working order this month:

As you are loading clothes into the washing machine, make sure to empty out the pockets of every item you put in. This is especially true if you have children who are notorious for leaving wrappers, toys, and papers in their pockets. Then, you are left with a tub full of dirty, used water and soaking clothes. This is basically a petri dish waiting to happen.
After you have washed a load of laundry, make sure to leave the lid open on your washing machine. The rubber gasket around the lid of the machine needs to have time to dry out. If not, it will soon begin growing mold and mildew, which can then get into the loads of clothing that you are washing. Allowing the air to get to the gasket will prevent this from happening.
Install low-flow fixtures on the utility sink in your laundry room and keep them clean. Now and then, it is a good idea to remove the faucet aerator and soak it in a bowl of water diluted with white vinegar to remove any water deposits. Also, install a drain cover over the drain of your utility sink. This will prevent any large particles from running down the drain.

Make sure that your laundry room plumbing is ready for the extra task of houseguests. The extra laundry from the bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom use can be substantial, and having a working washing machine and utility sink is essential to making the visit a great one!