Drain Flies How to Get Rid Of

Drain Flies - This is a typical floor drain. The flies set up camp just under that shiny drain strain cover.

Drain Flies How to Get Rid Of - Easy!

My friend Jim from Cincinnati, texted me the other day: "How do I get rid of drain flies?"

I replied, "Simple..." I then outlined the steps in the text message. Here they are for you.

Step 1: Remove the drain cover and use a toilet brush, liquid dish soap, and plenty of water to scrub the sides of the pipe all the way down to the water level of the trap. If the brush handle is long enough, clean all the way to the bottom of the trap. Add water as you scrub to keep the brush filled with a frothy soap solution. Be sure to clean the drain cover too, including the holes and the underside of the cover.

Step 2: Pull out the toilet brush and pour a gallon of water into the drain. Use a flashlight to see if the sides of the pipe are perfectly clean. If not, repeat step 1.

Step 3: Once the pipe walls, and drain cover are clean, add two tablespoons of chlorine bleach to the water in the trap if you're on a city sewer system. If you're on a septic tank, add 1/2 cup of STAIN SOLVER certified organic oxygen bleach. Each month add a gallon of water to the trap and repeat the addition of the bleach or STAIN SOLVER.

What Causes the Drain Flies?

The drain flies are attracted to the nasty biofilm that builds up on the sides of the floor drain pipe. If you keep the walls and the cover clean, there's no food for the drain flies. It's that simple.