Take Good Care of the Plumbing.
The care of the plumbing is an important duty; yet, provided there be nothing wrong about the plumbing at the start, and the supply of water be constant and generous, this duty will not be found a hard one. The housekeeper should impress upon the younger members of her family the importance of thoroughly flushing the water-closets. She should at least once a day personally see to it that there is sufficient flushing. The best time for this is after the morning work is done.
The laundry tubs should be thoroughly rinsed after washing. Be free with the water, that no trace of suds shall be left in the pipes.
After the midday work is done, and again at night, the pipe in the kitchen sink should be thoroughly flushed with hot water, if possible. In case there be no hot water, be generous with the cold. Once a week put half a pint of washing soda in an old saucepan, and add six quarts of hot water. Place on the fire until the soda is all dissolved; then pour the water into the pipes, reserving two quarts of it for the kitchen sink.
Have an old funnel to use in the bath-tub and basins, that the hot soda shall not touch any of the metal save that in the pipes.
Particles of grease sometimes lodge in the sink-pipe and cause an unpleasant odor. The hot soda dissolves this grease and carries it away.
Copperas will remove odors from drain-pipes. Put one pound of the crystals in a quart bottle and fill up with cold water. Cork tightly and label, writing “Poison” on the label. Pour a little of this into the pipes whenever there is any odor.
If thorough flushing and an occasional use of the hot soda will not keep the pipes sweet, there is something wrong with the plumbing, and it should be attended to at once.
It seems as if one need not caution people in regard to throwing into either water-closet or basin anything that may clog the pipes, but it is because of ignorance or carelessness on the part of the people who use these conveniences that much of the trouble with the pipes arises. Here are some of the things that should never have a chance to get into the pipes: hair, lint, pieces of rags, no matter how small; matches, fruit peelings, etc.
If for any reason there should be a bad odor from the drain, two tablespoonfuls of carbolic acid, mixed with a cupful of cold water and poured into the pipes, will prove a good disinfectant. A small bottle of carbolic acid, plainly labelled, always should be kept in the house, out of the reach of the children.