It is a fine evening, and you decide yourself that tonight you are going to prepare yourself a grand feast, so you pulled your vegetables. However, as you wash them on your sink, the water remains. You now have a blocked drain problem.
A common problem, blocked drains, can be frustrating. If not taken care of quickly and adequately, it will breed germs and cause the risk of infection. Common culprits for blocked drains are hair, food substances like shells of eggs and other fibrous food, etc. which get stuck in your pipes and cause water to seep out and, if left unattended, would create foul smells and cause germs to reside in it.
How to clean block drains?
You will come across several methods to rectify a blocked drain situation. Below are some techniques you can employ for unclogging your drain of blockage.
- Using a wire hanger: If the clogging is not too deep, you can use a hanger and straighten it to a straight line with the end bend to shape a hook. Using the hook, push it inside the drain and slowly pull out using the hook end all the substances that are causing the blockage. Make sure you are always moving in a pulling motion to avoid pushing substances even deeper. Once enough junk is hooked, outrun hot water through so that should have your drains clear.
- Baking soda mixed with vinegar: Baking soda and vinegar have been a standard inclusion in several home remedies, also applicable for use in freeing up drains. All you need to do is mix 1/3rd of baking soda with 1/3rd of vinegar. Please do not wait for it to fizz down. Pour it all into the blocked drain. The fizzing will help to remove grime built up in the pipes, along with any hair or gunk residue inside. Have it sit overnight and flush it with hot water the next day.
- Caustic soda: When using caustic soda, make sure to have proper protection for your hands and eyes as the chemicals can cause nasty burns on one’s skin when exposed. Have ¾ gallon of water that is cold in a bucket, then have caustic soda added about 3 cups. As it fizzes and heats up, pour it into the clogged drain and leave it for a good 30 minutes. After this, flush it down. Repeat till your drain is clean and rid of the clogging.
- Boiling water: It is perhaps the easiest of the lot. However, you will be surprised at what plain hot water can do to blocked drains. Pour it into the drain in stages and wait for the hot water to unclog your drains.
- Wet and dry vacuum method: It is a hit and miss when it works. It cleans the drain relatively well. Set your machine to vacuum liquids and then have it vacuumed. Make sure to seal up the vent and the drain as much as you can possible to avoid creating a mess.
- Ring up professional plumbers: sometimes clogged drains can be quite complicated. In such scenarios, it is advised to hire the services of a professional plumber as probing around without experience, and the proper tools could cause further damages in the plumbing.