How to Clear Your Drains without Chemicals

Drain clogs can be the most annoying problem to walk into any time of day. From the smell to the fact that you have water backed up into your sink, a drain clog can put a hamper on your day. Before reaching for a chemical drain cleaner, you should know that you are probably doing more harm than good. The problem with chemical drain cleaners is that they are damaging to pipes. Instead of using a drain cleaner, here are just a few alternatives to avoid those stubborn clogs while keeping your pipes happy.

Ol’ Reliable

While this may seem obvious for many, a lot of homeowners forget to use a simple plunger or drain snake to get rid of a clog. In many cases, shower drains, hair, and other build-ups can get stuck to the sides of your pipes but can easily get fished out with a snake. For kitchen sinks, you might get more use out of your plunger than a drain snake. Sometimes, some food just gets trapped, and a little push and pull from a plunger can help get that clog out.

Dish Soap Method

Some clogs can be tricky because of grease or other oily build-ups that a plunger or drain snake will not fix. With grease clogs, you can help your pipes with some boiling water and dish soap, depending on the severity of the clog. Put on some water to boil, and after it boils, mix in some dish soap. Alternatively, you can also pour dish soap down the drain, or even a toilet bowl, then pour in your boiling water. This method of unclogging drains can take a few attempts, but you will notice that after a few minutes, the hot water mixture will go down your drain, and the dish soap should eat away at the grease. Give yourself at least half an hour between each attempt to see if the clog has been cleared.

Baking Soda

A tried and true staple of home cleaning is baking soda, which, when paired with either vinegar or even salt, can get rid of some nasty clogs in no time. For drains like your kitchen or bathroom sink, you can take a 1:1 baking soda to vinegar mix; we use about half a cup to about a cup each to pour down our drain. Let the mixture sit in your drain for at least an hour, and flush out your drain with boiling water. Hopefully, this method can clear out your drain in time before any guests show up.

These methods are great for small clogs, but for bigger messes, you need the pros. At Dailey Company, Inc. we have years of experience in dealing with clogs, so call us at (979) 243-2568, and we’ll help clear out those drains fast!