3 Easy Shmeezy Ways to Unclog a Drain

Stop!

Don’t pour that commercial drain cleaner down your drain! You could be destroying your pipes.

Instead, here are three easy, eco-friendly and safe ways to unclog your drain or disposal without calling a plumber.

You’ll be saving money…and your pipes.

1. Baking Soda and Vinegar

Instructions:

1. Pour 4 cups of boiling water down the drain.

2. Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain.

3. Let it sit 5 minutes.

4. Pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar works best) and 1 cup boiling water down the drain. (Substitute lemon juice for vinegar for a great-smelling drain :)

5. Plug the drain to keep the vinegar baking soda reaction below the drain surface.

6. Flush the drain once more with 4 cups of boiling water.

2. Salt and Hot Water

Salt and hot water work best on grease or soap clogs. The hot water melts the grease that’s narrowing the pipes. The salt acts as a natural scouring agent forcing the build-up out.

Instructions:

1. Pour ½ cup of salt down the clogged drain.

2. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

3. Boil up a water kettle (or 10 cups of water) and carefully flush the drain.

3. Boiling Water

Many clogs, especially kitchen drains, develop due to fats and oils that get cold and harden inside the pipes.

Simply using a large amount of boiling water will clear the clog.

Important Note: Pour the boiling water directly into the drain and avoid damaging plastics or cracking porcelain.

5 Tips to Prevent Clogs from Coming Back

1. Never put fats, oils, or grease down the drain. Any ingredient high in fat (coconut oil, bacon grease, nut butters, butter, etc.) should be cooled and disposed of in the trash, or wiped into the trash before washing.

2. Don’t use hot water from the tap to melt fats so they can be rinsed down the drain. The water will cool, and the fats will then clog your pipes.

3. Dispose of food waste in the trash or a compost pile. Putting vegetable peels (onion, banana, egg, orange, etc.) down your disposal will decrease its lifetime.

4. Install hair filters in your bathrooms. Do not flush hair down the drain or toilet. Throw loose hair in the trash.

5. Flush kitchen and bathroom drains once a month with one of the methods mentioned above.

If you have tried these methods and still find yourself and your drains stuck call a plumber to snake your drains.