Replace your anode every couple years, flush them spring and fall, they’ll last a long long time.

My daughter decided to flush her "Littlest Pet Shop" toys down the toilet, I snaked it but it was still was clogged.

@Troy Beebe  Yup you learn over the years to flush out the tire kickers.. but retrading is just part of it.. especially in certain folks from certain countries..

For example I've read about not just draining but flushing the hot water tank every 3-6 months.

They don't seem to want to move and are not much of a pain with the exception of a more than frequently common septic flush (I do this about  every 6 months and I read it should be once a year). 

My house rules specifically say not to flush tampons.

Tenant tried to flush all the weed down the toilets, it clogged my septic tank and drainfield... getting that repaired now..story was all over the local news....not helpful for future renting...LOLAnd 3 years ago tenant burned another house down when using a fry daddy for 10 pounds of chicken...why didnt they just go to KFC???

Nowhere in California will be flush with deals except maybe the hinterlands

Maintenance snaking sounds like a great way to minimize the cost and time of slow and clogged drains.It is amazing how often that I have found that a toy or other object has been flushed thought an is actually stuck in the toilet.

Toilets can leak around the seal, showerpans leak, and washer drains have leaky joints, and water leaking from an upper floor can travel along pipes and drip down to the house sill or into the soil.Have someone flush toilets and run sinks while you are in the basement to listen for tell-tale drips.