Pet hair, human hair, mud, grass, sand from the beach… a number of other things get washed down your shower or sink drain every day. Hello clogged drains, nice to see you again – it’s been a few weeks since we last met. Before you have to resort to drastic measures consider these few at-home remedies to help you out and save you money.
Boiling water – Boil a pot of water on the stove and pour it down the drain, the rushing action of the water and the heat will dislodge smaller clogs.
Drain Auger or Snake – These are highly recommended for drain problems. They are more costly but reusable and very helpful. They can dislodge larger things that are stuck, and succeed when there is material inside of the pipe without hair or tangles.[/cs_text][cs_text]
Baking soda and vinegar – this mix can help loosen clogged drains as prep for other tactics that are more involved. Scoop a cup and a half of baking soda into the drain, pack it in and let it sit for a minute or two. Then pour four cups of vinegar on top of the baking soda. Any foam or bad smelling liquid that comes up is normal, but you’ll break any looser material, and prep for other methods!
Coat hanger or Zip-Its – Take a wire coat hanger, straighten it out, then make a hook on the end. Put the hanger down the drain and once you hit an obstacle, spin the hanger around a couple times and slowly pull out any materials clogged in the drain. Repeat this process 4 or 5 times. Zip-Its are very similar to the coat hanger process, however you don’t have to make the tool, you can just purchase it! If the drain is still clogged after these processes, try another method.
Baking soda and vinegar – this mix can help loosen clogged drains as prep for other tactics that are more involved. Scoop a cup and a half of baking soda into the drain, pack it in and let it sit for a minute or two. Then pour four cups of vinegar on top of the baking soda. Any foam or bad smelling liquid that comes up is normal, but you’ll break any looser material, and prep for other methods!
Coat hanger or Zip-Its – Take a wire coat hanger, straighten it out, then make a hook on the end. Put the hanger down the drain and once you hit an obstacle, spin the hanger around a couple times and slowly pull out any materials clogged in the drain. Repeat this process 4 or 5 times. Zip-Its are very similar to the coat hanger process, however you don’t have to make the tool, you can just purchase it! If the drain is still clogged after these processes, try another method.