Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing issues. They’re annoying and can lead to worse issues down the road. Strongbuilt are the plumbing experts and we’d like to offer you some words of wisdom along with easy fixes to your clogged drain.
Remember the most comfortable call you’ll ever make is to Strongbuilt. If one of these DIY solutions doesn’t fix your problem, call Strongbuilt and take advantage of our $39 drain unclogging deal!
The best fix is to be proactive. Instead of unclogging your drain, do your best to make sure it doesn’t get clogged in the first place. There are several ways to prevent clogs in your drains.
- Be mindful of what you send down the drain. You should never send grease or oil down any drain because they can solidify in your pipes and create clogs.
- Make sure you don’t flush objects like paper towels, sanitary products, or wipes because they can cause problems.
- Don’t use commercial drain cleaners regularly. These products are acidic and can do more harm than good. Over time, they’ll eat away at your pipes instead of maintaining them.
- Every so often, clean out your drains with a plunger.
- Use bio-treatment products once a month to make sure waste doesn’t build up in your pipes. Bio-treatment uses bacteria and enzymes to eat away organic material that causes clogs without eating away your pipes.
- Clean out your sink pipes and p-trap regularly. If you don’t know how to do this, call in the professionals at Strongbuilt!
If your drains clog or maybe you get one that clogs easily like the shower because of hair and other buildups, don’t panic! There are a few at-home remedies that you can try. Most of them are baking soda and other ingredients. The most reliable version is a combination that you might remember from your childhood making volcanoes: baking soda and vinegar. Instead of causing a minor explosion, you’ll cause a chemical reaction in your drain that creates carbon dioxide that breaks up the material. Add boiling water too and you create pressure that can move whatever object is in the way.
This is primarily for clogs caused by buildup, hair, and grease. Objects or things like paper towels will not be easily swayed by baking soda and vinegar.
Give one of these DIY drain cleaners a try:
- Baking soda & vinegar
- An old favorite!
- Pour ½ a cup each of baking soda and then vinegar down the drain
- Delight in the bubbling!
- Plug drain and let sit for 1 hour
- Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain
- Repeat if necessary
- Baking soda & lemon juice
- You’ll need a ½ cup of each
- Pour into drain and let sit for half an hour
- Pour boiling water down the drain
- Baking soda & salt
- Again, ½ cup of each
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes
- Pour boiling water
- Baking soda, salt, cream of tartar
- You guessed it, ½ cup of each but this time into a jar instead of right down the drain. Shake the jar well, pour mixture down the drain
- Follow with boiling water
- Let sit for one hour before running tap water to rinse the rest of the solution down the drain
- Salt, borax, vinegar
- You guessed it…just kidding! Pour ¼ cup salt and ¼ cup borax down the drain
- Follow it with ½ cup of vinegar
- Finish strong with a pot of boiling water
- Let sit for at least an hour
- Use warm tap water to wash away the rest of the solution
Hopefully, your drain clears up after you pour your baking soda mixture of choice down the drain! Remember, prevention is the best solution and you can always call Strongbuilt, the most comfortable call you’ll ever make.
