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HOUSE CLEANING

in turn, can become a filter for soap, skin oils, and other residues carried by the water. Pouring hot water into a drain is unlikely to clear a clog, but a weekly dose of boiling water can be effective to maintain a freely running drain. Heat about a gallon of water, pour in half, wait a few minutes, and then pour in the rest. Be careful to pour the water directly down the drain, not on .the basin, tub, or toilet. Boiling water could crack the porcelain; it can also inactivate a biological drain. opener. So do not use hot water any sooner than the residence time mandated by the biological drain opener's directions.
BIOLOGICAL TREATMENTS

Household drains rarely clog without warning. Unless suddenly blocked by an object, they tend to run slower as impediments accumulate. Biological drain treatments are designed to keep pipes cleaner and clearer by introducing bacteria that feed on the' organic matter in those accumulations. Biological treatments are often marketed as a safer alternative to pouring chemical cleaners down your drains Ca reasonable claim, given the chemicals' proven hazards). Some treatments are sold through catalogs that specialize in "environmentally friendly" products; others are sold in hardware and grocery stores. Some treatments claim to use enzymes to stage an initial hitand-run attack on organic matter in the pipes, notably grease and soap . .But the real muscle in biological treatments comes from microorganisms that break down and digest that organic material. The bugs eventually flourish in the pipes to provide a continuous, live-in cleanup crew. Microorganisms don't eat just anything. Hair, for example, being rather indigestible, is not on their menu. But the bacteria in the