Clogged drains are an inconvenience, especially if you need to handle them frequently. Not only is it time-consuming, but also very uncomfortable to clean at times.
Drains can become clogged for a variety of reasons, including hardened oil, food residues, hair that has been lodged, or even soap residue. But you are not the only one who has to go through this, as almost every household experiences this.
While tackling this is not that hard, we are often less enthusiastic about cleaning clogged drains. And this results in an embarrassing issue when you have home visitors and dirty water regurgitates from the sink or bathtub, which can be highly unpleasant.
However, cleaning clogged drains is an easy process and requires very common household items and products. All you need to do is read this article to learn the best tips to get rid of clogged drains at home!
Tips to Get Rid of Clogged Drain At Home
You can use the following methods to effectively clean out or unclog your household drains as these methods have proved to be very efficient and can fight tough greasy clogged drains.
However, for tougher clogs, you’ll want to use an electric drain snake auger that is powered and strong enough to clear blockages.
Method #1: How to Use Baking Soda to Unclog a Drain
A common kitchen ingredient, baking soda, can do miracles to unclog drains that are stinky or stuck.
Baking soda, a naturally occurring mineral component, has the capacity to dissolve both organic compounds like grease and solid deposits. It has a mild disinfecting effect and can be used to battle fungi and bacteria that produce odors.
Clogs may not form if baking soda is used on a regular basis to clean. You can use baking soda to unclog household drains in the following way:
- Tea kettles or large pourable measuring cups can be used to heat water in the microwave or directly on the stove.
- In the drain, add one cup of dry baking soda. If your drain is too small for you to pour directly down, you can utilize a funnel instead or a measurement cup to accomplish this.
- Pour one glass containing distilled vinegar into the drain. The immediate response that takes place shouldn’t come as a surprise. While vinegar is a moderate acetic acid, baking soda powder is an alkaline material. The two react quite violently when combined in order to balance each other; the fizzing sound you hear is the result of this reaction, which frequently clears drain obstructions.
- Wait five minutes after the fizzing stops. Make the most of this chance to boil two glasses of water.
- Use this extra, hot water to clean the drain after the vinegar and baking soda have done their work.
- Use hot water tap water to wash all material down the sink if the drain is now flowing smoothly.
- Repeat the preceding instructions if it isn’t draining. If you haven’t recently cleansed the drain, you might need to perform the baking soda wash at least two times more.
Method #2: How to Use Dish Soap to Unclog a Drain
If the baking soda method is not working, you can use liquid or powder dish soap to clean the clog in the drain.
If you opt for this method, you may have to try it a few times before you get results but this method will eventually prove to be quite effective, especially when it comes to removing clogs that involve grease. That is because this method helps convert the grease back to its liquid state by applying heat, which allows it to flow through the pipe again.
The blockage in the sink, which is frequently caused by fat and food, can be partially removed and made easier to plunge by using regular dish soap.
For this method to work, you can take around two cups of water and boil it. You can either add some liquid dish soap or pour this solution into the sink gradually.
Or you can just sprinkle a few teaspoons of cleaning solution such as dish soap into the drain and allow it to sit for a while. After that, give the dish soap sufficient time to reach the inside of the blockage and flush it with hot water.
Method #3: How to Use Plunger to Unclog a Drain
You can go for a plunger to physically unclog the drain if none of the methods above are working. The kitchen sink and shower sink are the places where a plunger is likely to be most effective.
It’s crucial to utilize the proper plunger; if you’re dealing with just a small drain, like in the kitchen or shower, a standard toilet plunger won’t cut it. The cup plunger which is made for small drainage is needed.
If there is food that has clogged at the end of the drain underneath the sink, it will be hard to draw out with a hook. In this case, you need to deploy a good and sturdy plunger.
- First, remove any plates, rags, or dishes from your sink or anything in the shower and clean the shower drain as well.
- Place the cup plunger towards the drainage, while making sure to close it very tightly after you have unscrewed the stopper.
- Afterward, plunge forcefully to push out the blockage.
- Then check whether the clog is cleared or not by pouring some hot water in it.
- Repeat the process as needed.
Why Your Pipes Keep Getting Clogged
Pipes in traditional or very old houses are more likely to have leaks and clog, which may be why your drain keeps getting clogged.
You should investigate whether the plumbing vents are jammed. You should suspect clogging symptoms if you frequently notice that the pace at which water drains out is excruciatingly slow after you wash your hands or brush your teeth.
If you are encountering these issues again and again, try to outline the parts of the drainage pipes that are getting clogged very often.
After pinpointing, you can just easily replace the plumbing in those particular areas instead of re-piping all the pipes in the house. You can also look into ways to easily solve plumbing-related issues which might help you out.
For instance, if you live in a mobile home, you need to know the basics of mobile home plumbing to be able to troubleshoot the issues effectively.
Finally, add a leakage detection method to keep an eye on the flow of water and stop leaks in order to solve the issue.
Guidelines for Maintaining Clean Drains
While cleaning household drains is a chore that must be done, it is sometimes a big hassle. Maintaining the drains will allow you to have less work when you are cleaning your drains thoroughly once every week.
- Look at these points to know how you can maintain your household drains.
- To prevent food and hair from entering the drain, always use filtration baskets on household drains.
- Avoid flushing grease or oil down the toilet. In order to prevent a clog in the drain when preparing oily or greasy items, clean the utensils with a clean towel prior to washing.
- To avoid the accumulation of greasy clogs, pour boiling steam and dishwashing soap that is grease-fighting into the drain on a regular schedule.
- You can cleanse and sanitize the garbage disposal using baking soda and salt or baking powder and vinegar techniques when needed.
Safety Factors
Applying baking soda is generally preferable to applying a chemical cleaning solution if you aren’t up to dismantling the sink or the drain to remove a clog.
Chemical cleaners cannot be relied upon to remove clogs, and their caustic nature makes them potentially dangerous to the skin, some of them even resulting in serious burns.
Most licensed plumbers advise against using these items, and some apartment complexes specifically prohibit the utilization of chemical cleaners.
Hence, ensure that you are wearing gloves and a mask before using chemical cleaning solutions to unclog your drains.
Conclusion
If you have read this far, then congratulations! You just learned the most effective tips to get rid of clogged drains at home. We hope that you can take the ideas mentioned above and be able to unclog the drains in your house effectively and hassle-free.
