Whether you're starting a home pet grooming business to make a little cash on the side or you're an animal lover in search of a career change, you've probably already prepared your house for your new furry arrivals. However, while many new dog groomers remember to protect their furnishings and install the necessary equipment, many forget to make preparations to avoid a common but disastrous problem that grooming can cause: plumbing blockages. Blocked drains can be unpleasant and disruptive, and you'll lose revenue if you have to cancel bookings to get the problem fixed. Here are 2 tips to help you avoid blocked drains when you start grooming pets.

Brush Them Outside the Tub

Whether you're using your own bathtub to wash the pets or you've got a purpose-built pet tub hooked up to your plumbing, you may think that brushing the animals inside the dry bath is a good idea. After all, a bathtub can collect all the dirt and hair, making it easier to clean up. However, if you brush cats and dogs off inside the bathtub, it will be very difficult to remove all the debris. Hairs can float around uncaught and settle back into the tub or flow down the drain before you get a chance to collect them up. On top of that, any stray chunks of dirt or litter can also end up down the drain before you've cleared them out. This can all lead your pipes to clog up very quickly.

Instead of brushing your furry clients in the bath, consider doing it in another room or inside a cheap pet or baby bathtub that isn't connected to the plumbing. The cleanup may be slightly more difficult, but it's worth it to keep your drains blockage-free.

Use a Drain Strainer

When you wash a dog or a cat, there is often so much shampoo in sight that you don't realise just how much fur the pet is losing. All those loose hairs will go straight down the drain when you rinse the animal unless you take the necessary precautions. The easiest way to make sure fur isn't being washed down the plughole during rinsing is to use a drain strainer, also known as a hair catcher.

There are many different types of hair-catching devices out there. Some are circular discs with holes in that fit over your drainage hole. Certain models also include disposable bags that go inside the strainer, allowing you to dispose of the caught hair quickly and easily. Others are chains with plastic hooks attached; these are threaded down the drain and catch the hairs as they go down. Using one or both of these straining tools will keep the fur travelling down your drain to a minimum, reducing the risk of blockages.

Once your grooming business is up and running, make sure you keep an eye on your plumbing to catch problems early. Bad smells and slow drainage are 2 signs that a problem may be about to occur. If you do end up with a blockage, call a plumber like those found at Nu-Jet at your earliest convenience. A reputable plumber can carry out a CCTV drain survey to get a cost-effective, quick and accurate analysis of the problem, allowing them to remedy it speedily so you don't have to cancel grooming appointments.