Uggh! Have a clogged drain in your sink or bathtub? If you really don’t really want to use harsh chemical products to get rid of the clog … what can you do? Here are a few natural ways, to unclog a drain …
Unclogging Drains With . . . A Plunger
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to move a clog is to use a plunger to try to move the obstruction out of the way with pressure. If you have previously used chemicals in the drain to remove the clog, make sure you use rubber gloves and safety glasses to protect yourself.
Try Unclogging Drains With . . . Boiling Water
Following the plunger method, you could try plain, boiling hot water. Plug off the overflow holes and start pouring boiling water slowly down the drain. Leave the water in the sink for at least a half hour. The clog may dissipate on its own.
Try Unclogging Drains With . . . A Homemade Baking Soda Solution
If you haven’t used a commercial drain cleaning product recently, you might consider using this solution. All of these items would commonly be found in your kitchen.
Pour one-half cup of baking soda into your drain. Carefully pour one-half cup of vinegar over the baking soda and cover the drain, if at all possible. At this point, the two will begin bubbling just like a child’s volcano experiment for school. After a few minutes the bubbling should stop.
Pour at least a half gallon of boiling water over what’s left of the baking soda and vinegar. Then follow that with hot running water to flush it all down the drain. This process may have to be used more than once to clear the stubborn clog.
Try Unclogging Drains With . . . A “Snake”
If after you’ve tried the vinegar and baking soda and the clog is still there, you have other options besides chemicals. Do you have a “snake?” This is a 25-50 foot metal wire with a bulb at the end. You push the snake into the drain. When it hits the blockage, you just keep twisting until the drain runs free.
While home methods will sometimes work on the first or second try, there may be more of a problem than you realized. It’s at those times that you will want to allow a professional to take over. Not only will they be able to get your drains running again, they might save you a bigger problem in the future.
