How To Clear A Blocked Drain: 8 Different Tips To Help Your Clogged Drain Woes!

Clogged drains can be very dangerous. It is a significant inconvenience for the household and makes it challenging to go with your daily life at home. There is no way to sugarcoat the problem.

Clogged drains are a common problem that homeowners will encounter at least once in their lives. It doesn’t matter if it’s a blocked sink, toilet , or shower drain. If left untreated and you don’t get it fixed quickly, it could cause serious long-term problems with your household plumbing.

For many reasons, your household may have blocked drains, including foreign objects accidentally dropping in the drain or heavy hair, grease, and other gunk buildups.

Knowing the exact cause of each clogging problem can help protect yourself against future reoccurrences. If your current unclogging options don’t work, this guide shows you how to clear a blocked drain.

Causes Of Blocked Drains

Kitchen Sink Clog Causes

Fat, Oil, And Grease:

Fats are the leading cause of kitchen sink blockages and sinks that drain slowly. They go down the pipes quickly as liquids (think of hot grease in a pan or dissolved fats in warm dishwater). However, fats cool as they move through the pipes. The solid fat coats your pipes and causes a buildup of fat that can cause drain blockages or slow drains.

Food Particles:

Large food particles or vegetable peels trapped under the sink’s curved pipe (also called the p trap) can cause a kitchen or bathroom drain blockage.

(See our blog that dives deeper into why your kitchen sink won’t drain ).

Bathroom Sink Clog Causes

Hair:

Bathroom drain clogs most commonly occur because of hair, which can quickly go down the drain. Water then builds up in the pipe and causes a blockage. These clogs typically happen just below the drain.

Soap Scum:

Greasy soap residues and particles can build up inside pipes, causing blockages. Sometimes, soap buildup can cause damage to the pipes.

See our guide on how to get rid of smelly bathroom drains !

8 Tips for How to Clear a Blocked Drain

Use A Bent Wire Hanger To Unclog Your Sink

Dirt, hair, and food can easily clog drains. They bind to soap scum on the drain pipe walls, causing the water flow to slow down over time.

A simple hook can unclog a sink drain. Make a small hook at the end of the wire by using a regular coat hanger. This end should be pushed slowly into the plughole. Do not push the wire downwards, as this could cause the blockage to move further down the drain. To help clear the blockage, you can use gentle “prodding” and “hooking” motions.

Pour Boiling Water Down The Drain

Sometimes, this can dissolve the grease or soap clogging your drain and clear it. To unclog your drain with boiling water:

• Boil water over the stove.
• The boiling water should be poured down the drain.
• Using a funnel or a drain snake is best if you have one to prevent water from escaping. You don’t want boiling water splashed on the bathtub or shower accessories.

Remove Grease With Dish Soap

Sometimes dish soap can help to dissolve a grease clog. Be careful not to use too much soap, though. Too much soap can make your skin scaly. If the soap does not drain, it can coagulate to a more significant clog.

• Place approximately 1-ounce dish soap into the drain.
• Slowly pour boiling or near-boiling water into the drain.
• Cover the drain and flush it through your hot water systems for several minutes.

Use Baking Soda And Vinegar

Vinegar or baking soda are two natural home remedies that you can use to clean your home. Mix 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1/3 cup vinegar to unblock your drain. The ingredients should begin to mix immediately after being mixed. You should pour the concoction down the drain as soon as possible. Allow it to sit for an hour or overnight to get the best result. Finalise by flushing it with hot water.

Cleaning The Pipe

Cleaning the pipe is a more complicated way to unblock your drain. Don’t attempt it if you don’t feel comfortable. Place an empty bucket beneath the U-shaped tube below the sink. The bucket will catch any water or leaks during the process.

Use a wrench to loosen the slip nuts on both ends of your pipe. Then, remove it. You can empty the contents into a bucket. It is possible to search for hidden objects in the pipes. An old toothbrush can be a good tool for this. Rinse the pipes thoroughly with water, and then put everything back together. This method will usually clear your drain entirely.

Unblock Your Drain With Salt And Baking Soda

We all have salt and baking soda in our kitchen cupboards. Combine half a cup of table salt and baking soda to make a paste that you can pour down the blocked drain. It will work for 10-20 mins. Then pour boiling water over it. All three ingredients combined will result in a chemical reaction that should clear any blockages.

Use A Wet/Dry Vacuum

The wet/dry vacuum does precisely as its name suggests – it can clean liquids and dry dirt. These guys are used to collect waste from blocked drains, mainly if it is very high up.

 

To prevent any mess:

• Seal the plughole with an old plunger head.
• Turn the vacuum onto the liquid setting for the most potent suction, then place the plughole over it.
• Turn on the vacuum and let it run for about 1-2 minutes.
• Turn off the vacuum and run the water slowly to check for blockages.

Use Liquid Drain Cleaner

Before buying a bottle of liquid drain cleaners such as a caustic cleaner, you should consider the pros and cons. You should use liquid or chemical drain cleaners sparingly. A liquid drain cleaner is the last resort. In general, drain cleaners can be poured directly into the affected drain. Be sure to read the instructions on each bottle.

When Should You Call Plumbing Professionals?

You can save money on plumbing and cleanup costs by taking preventative measures to clear blocked drains. If none of those mentioned above solutions to blocked drains work, a more significant problem may require a professional plumber.

Looking for a credible plumbing service for your drain cleaning needs? Bayside Plumbing . We are a team of licensed 24-hour plumbers specialising in unblocking drains.

Don’t battle tree roots by yourself or waste your money at your local hardware stores. Call us, and we’ll be able to solve your problem promptly.

For more valuable how-to’s, see our blog on how to repair a leaking shower or our guide on how to unblock a toilet !