A clogged Drain can easily ruin your day. That’s why Goodbee Plumbing and Drains is here to offer you the top clogged drain solutions. Drains are the most important part of your plumbing system and when one gets backed up, it can be disastrous. Greasy water in your kitchen sink, or dirty water in your bathtub, is not pretty and can be really distressing to see in your home.
Kitchen drains and bathroom drains are the most common drains that see clogs. These drains see soap scum, food, toothpaste, hair, and other drain clogging materials daily. When you get a clogged drain, it can be very frustrating and something you want to resolve quickly.
What Causes Clogged Drains
The most common reasons your drain is clogged include food and substances that should not have gone down the drain are stuck, such as eggshells and grease, hair, excessive amounts of toilet paper being flushed, or flushing things that don’t belong down the drain. If you don’t clean these clogs and allow them to build over, you can attract pests like drain flies so it’s best to fix the clogs as soon as possible.
Top 7 Clogged Drain Solutions
When it comes to unclogging your drain, there are hundreds of different products claiming to be the best at unclogging your drain. Some of these products are helpful at unclogging drains, but others just cause damage to your pipes and make your clogs even worse. Here are the 4 top clogged drain solutions experts recommend.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar are a natural top clogged drain solution. If you plan to use vinegar and baking soda to unclog your drain you should pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain and 1/2 cup vinegar, plug the drain and then let that sit for one hour. After the hour is up, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. This should help clear the clog but you should repeat if the clog persists. This drain cleaning solution works well and is better than chemical alternatives in the store that are likely to damage your pipes. This solution is also cheaper than leading brand-name top clogged drain solutions.
Baking Soda and Salt
Baking soda and salt work similarly to baking soda and vinegar. Again, combine a 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt. Let this sit in the drain for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight and then pour hot water down the drain. Repeat this process if necessary. Be sure to adhere to the time limits as leaving it for too long may result in problems with your pipes. This natural solution is a great alternative to chemical cleaners that can be harmful to your family and the environment.
Plunging
Plunging works best on a clogged kitchen drain rather than a bathroom sink drain. Kitchen sinks often see grease, leftover food particles, and soap scum buildup. Kitchen sink drains often have a curve that food and buildup will get stuck in. A plunger can help push the blockage further down the pipe and clear the clog. When plunging, clear the sink of all dishes and rags and then fill the sink halfway with warm water. Once this is done, begin to plunge the drain, a rubber plunger works best for this. If the clog is severe this may not work and you should call Goodbee Plumbing and Drains.
Snaking
If a plunger doesn’t work, you can try to snake your own drain. Drain snakes come in a variety of lengths and types. Many sink clogs can be cleared with a 25-50 foot drain snake. If the clog is in a shower/bathtub drain, you first want to remove the tub stopper and remove any hair that may be caught in the cross-section of the tub drain. If that doesn’t help your clogged drain, there’s likely a larger clog further into the drain. To snake a tub drain, it’s recommended that you use a standard drain snake with a 1/4- or 5/16-inch cable. Larger, thicker snakes may be hard to navigate around the curves of the pipes. Snaking your clogged drains can be difficult and when in doubt just call Goodbee Plumbing.
Dish Soap and Hot Water
This method is stuff you already have on hand, making it a great way to unclog your drain. All you need to do is boil about two liters of water and mix in a few tablespoons of your liquid dish soap. Once you combine the two, slowly pour them down the sink. This method might take a few tries to see the results. If you have a grease clog, for example, this combination will heat the grease up into a liquid and move it down the drain removing the clog.
Salt, Borax, and Vinegar
Another method you can try is to combine 1/4 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of Borax, and 1/2 cup of vinegar in a pot of boiling water. Once you mix everything together, pour it down the drain, and let it sit for a least an hour. Once an hour has passed, rinse with hot tap water.
Wire Coat Hanger
If you have tried a few different methods to unclog your drain and haven’t fixed the issue, go on over to your closet and grab a wire coat hanger. First, be sure to straighten out the hanger but leave the hook! Next, grab a plastic bag to throw away your findings.
What you need to do is put the hook end of the hanger down your drain and move it around to grab any food or hair buildup that is clogging the drain. Once you pull the hanger out and remove what you find, run hot water down the drain to remove anything that remains. When using this method, be sure to be gentle to avoid causing further issues.
Reasons to Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
Chemical drain cleaners are a popular option people turn to when it comes to unclogging their drains. Though this option is convenient, it’s not the best choice when trying to clear a clogged drain. Chemical drain cleaners can corrode your pipes, cause holes to form in your pipes, and can even make your septic tanks less effective over time since they kill the natural bacteria found in the tank. Some of the chemical drain cleaners won’t even remove clogs and will only worsen your plumbing. Even if your pipes are made of strong materials, the more you use the chemical cleaners, the more they will eat away at your pipes until there’s irreparable damage.
In addition to that, chemical drain cleaners are bad for the environment. The harmful chemicals end up in landfills and groundwater causing contamination. Small birds and other animals become infected from drinking the toxic water which affects the ecosystem. This toxic water can also end up in your home and infect your drinking water.
Chemical drain cleaners can also damage your pipes and septic systems. The chemicals in these cleaners are essentially made to eat through everything that includes your pipes. Even if your pipes are made of strong materials, the more you use the chemical cleaners, the more they will eat away at your pipes until there’s irreparable damage.
As well as the previous negative effects of chemical cleaners, these cleaners can also be very dangerous to use. These cleaners often have toxic fumes and can cause serious burns if they touch your skin. Depending on the surface of your tub, you could also ruin the surface of it, if the cleaner is spilled.
Instead of relying on chemical drain cleaners, try a natural method, and if you are still having trouble, call the experts at Goodbee Plumbing, and we will get you the best results without damaging your pipes or septic tank.
Choose Goodbee Plumbing As Your Top Clogged Drain Solution
Many claim to be the top clogged drain solutions but really, natural solutions are the way to go when trying to clear a clogged drain. They are overall better for your health, your pipes, and the environment. Whether you choose to use natural top clogged drain solutions or chemical cleaners, these are only temporary solutions. For a permanent solution, you need Goodbee Plumbing and Drains.
Goodbee Plumbing offers top clogged drain solutions, as well as any other plumbing services you may need and expert tips such as how to fix a clogged toilet. Our team takes pride in providing affordable plumbing services for all of our service areas. If you find you have a clogged drain, a lot of the time we can provide you with same-day service. Give us a buzz whenever you need us, Goodbee Plumbing and Drains is here to be your top clogged drain solution!
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