Bathrooms that sit unused for long periods of time tend to gather problems. Whether you have a rarely-used basement bathroom, a cabin home, or a seasonal abode, it is important to take a few steps to ensure that your products will remain in proper working conditions next time you need them.
Drains are curvy for a reason. The “P-Trap” holds a little water to act as a barrier between your home and the sewer system. When drains aren’t used for long periods of time, the water barrier can evaporate and leave an open path for sewer odors to enter your home. For this reason, it is important to run water in the shower, sink, and toilet every once-in-a-while.
If you have a single-handle shower, run your water until it gets hot, then turn it off. Most of these faucets have a pin in them that can catch if it doesn’t get used in a long time, leaving you without either hot or cold water. By running a little water every so often, it can prevent the pin from sticking.
We often scramble to clean the bathroom BEFORE guests arrive. However, it is arguably more important to clean it after it is used. Water spots that stay for long periods of time can cause real damage to faucet finishes. It’s a good idea to do a quick clean after guests use your bathroom, whether kids are home from college or visitors are in town. Plus, your bathroom will now be ready for your next visitor!
Another reason to clean the bathroom after guests use it is to make sure nothing is leaking. Check to ensure faucets are completely off and the toilet is not running. If you have trick bathrooms that need flushers to be jiggled, or handles to crank, it is a good idea to get them fixed so guests don’t unknowingly leave it running for days, weeks, or months, wasting gallons of water.
