Winter is coming. Are your drains prepared? You might not realize this, but ignoring your drains can lead to some serious plumbing problems. With the holidays coming up, the last thing you want to deal with is drain odors and floods. If you've been neglecting your drains, it's time to give them the attention they deserve. Here are three simple steps you should take this winter to avoid plumbing problems.

Go Hot When You Do Your Dishes

When you wash your dishes, you flush oils, food particles, and other grime right down your drains. Unfortunately, not all that grime makes it out of your drains. Some of it gets left behind and clings to the sides of your drain pipes. If you're not careful, you'll get more grime deposits each time you wash your dishes. The best way to make sure that everything gets washed out of your drains is to give them a good flush. Once you're done with the dishes, flush your kitchen drains with plenty of hot water. The hot water will loosen up any greasy oils that are lingering in the drains and flush everything through to the sewer.

Use All the Bathrooms in Your Home

If you've got one bathroom that doesn't get used as often as the others, you may have a ticking time bomb on your hands. When drains don't get used, you can end up with clogs, drain odor, and even an infestation of drain flies. To avoid those problems, make sure you pay equal attention to all the bathrooms in your home. Flush all the toilets at least once a day, and make sure to use your tubs and showers about once a week.

To keep your seldom-used tubs draining properly, shut the drain plug, and fill the tubs halfway. Release the drain plugs and allow the water to drain from the tubs. If you follow this process at least once a week, you won't have troubles with your seldom-used bathrooms.

Don't Ignore those Slow Drains

If you've got some slow drains in your home, don't ignore them. Those slow drains could be trying to tell you something about your plumbing. You might not realize this, but slow drains can be caused by root invasion, animals in the drains, or even sewage backups. If your drains are slow, have a plumber or professional drain cleaning service come out to clean your drains. A little bit of preventative maintenance could help you avoid costly plumber repairs later on.