Sure you had a clogged drain at your home one or more times, so I'd like to describe some home remedies for clogged drains in this article.
Whether it's a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room sink, don't worry, here are some home remedies for clogged drains.
Numerous reasons can cause a clog in your sinks, rinsing food off plates, greasy or oily objects, soap residue, and hair can block the flow of water.
For me, green solutions are preferred to toxic chemicals as they are safer, also those toxic chemicals can cause erosion of your pipes, so green solutions will also save you money.
A- Natural home remedies for clogged drains:
1- Boiling water and dish detergents:
This method is only suitable if the clog is made of organic matter, not plastic-based products.
To dissolve any organic matter stuck in the sink, water should be hot enough or boiling.
You can pour the boiling water directly into the drain or mix it in a few tablespoons of liquid dish soap and slowly pour that mixture into the sink.
This method will work great on greasy organic clogs.
Make sure that your pipes aren't PVC pipes because the heat from the water will loosen that type of pipe.
Hot water can be used for partially clogged drains.
2- Vinegar and baking soda:
One of the alternative home remedies for clogged drains, used if you have tried the hot water method and the clog persists.
Firstly pour half a cup of baking soda into the drain, don't add any water but instead pour half a cup of vinegar into the drain. The vinegar and baking soda will react and this will force the clog to lose and dissolve. Wait about 30 minutes to one hour then pour boiling water directly into the drain. Continue pouring the boiling water into the drain until it's clear.
3- Salt, borax, and vinegar:
Pour ¼ cup of salt, ¼ cup of borax, and ½ cup of vinegar. Wait up to one hour then pour boiling water into the drain. Continue pouring the boiling water until it's clear. Finally, rinse with boiling water to clear all substances that caused the clog away.
4- Baking soda and salt:
Mix half a cup of salt and half a cup of baking soda and pour it into the drain.
Let it at least for a half-hour or as long as overnight then pour boiling water to clear the drain.
In the last three methods, we have a rule that the looser the clog, the shorter time it needs to sit, and the opposite is true.
If white vinegar is also added before running off hot water into the sink, this is called the triple threat.
5- The snake:
This method is used for heavily clogged drains or when the previous methods failed to clear the clog.
Bathroom drains can be clogged with hair.
In this method, a steel wire is used, it allows you to pull out the hair or any substance that caused the clog.
6- Plunger:
This method is mostly used for the kitchen sink which is fully clogged. Food waste from the dishes may be stuck at the curve of the drain below the sink. It's difficult to clear it with a hook. So use a rubber plunger to clear it after filling the sink halfway with warm tapped water.
7- Wire coat hanger:
Another sort of home remedies for clogged drains,you can use the hook end of the coat hanger to fish in the drain and pull up any food or hair that is causing the clog. After discarding the substances that caused the clog, flow hot or boiling water into the sink to clear up any remaining.
8- Coke or Pepsi:
Besides being a sweet cold drink on hot days, Coke or Pepsi is considered a safe home remedy for clogged drains.
Slowly pour a bottle of Pepsi down into the clogged sink, allow it to treat for two hours, and then flush with hot water.
The acid in Coke or Pepsi has a magic effect compared to the corrosive sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid in synthetic cleaners, but this one is surely safer for your pipes.
B- Synthetic home remedies for clogged drains:
I referred at the start of this article that green or natural home remedies for clogged drains are safer than Synthetic types, this is due to :
1- Synthetic cleaners can cause erosion of your pipes and that will waste your money, so green solutions can save your money as they are fine for your pipes.
2- Most Synthetic cleaners are composed of sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid which are the cause of the erosion of the pipes over time.
C- Some advice to avoid clogging your drains or sink:
1-Peels of potato, orange, tangerine, or banana shouldn't be thrown down into the drains.
2-Eggshells, seeds, bones, oils, greasy substances never to be dropped into the sink of your kitchen.
3-Never pour coffee grounds into your drain, because it can cake inside it and cause a clog.
4-Hair can accumulate in bathroom sinks or showers and cause a clog, so a hair trap is necessary to avoid this.
D- Drain maintenance:
Besides home remedies for clogged drains, drain maintenance should be done regularly, it's necessary to prevent clogs.
1-Usually run hot water into the drain after using it.
2-Baking soda is necessary to remove bad odors, and also can prevent clogs if dropped into the drain followed by running of hot water.
3-Strainers can be used for open drains such as those of the bathroom, strainers can catch hair and fine or small objects.
4-Of course a plumber can fix the problems, but there are good home remedies for clogged drains that anyone can use.
5-If you ignore maintenance and repair of clogged drains, the pumping system can later have a significant leak and structural damage and this will cost you more expensive repairs.
Quick notes:
1-Home remedies for clogged drains can work in some cases. If you failed to manage the problem, call a plumber.
2-More significant clogs can cause more damage without proper care.
3-Avoid collecting your whole plumbing system on a single drain to avoid exaggerated problems.
Summary:
Having a clogged drain in your home is a common problem but it's easy to find a way to clear the drain , as I mentioned later I'd prefer the natural home remedies for clogged drains for you.Regular drain maintenance and repair is necessary to decrease the risk of having a clog.
By: Dr. Mohamed Talaat Ahmed
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