What Does Homemade Drain Cleaner Do
You don’t always need the strength of a chemical drain cleaner. A slow drain often can be cleared with a homemade drain cleaner concoction consisting of boiling water and a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar react together to create a fizzy, bubbly action that releases carbon dioxide, which can loosen up clogs so they can be washed down the drain. Chase the mixture with boiling water, which helps to wash out any clogs or debris, and you’ve got a reliable recipe for fighting clogs.
Follow these specific steps to make a DIY drain cleaner that will unclog your sink, tub, or shower drain.
- 1/2 cup White distilled vinegar
Powerful Ways To Unclog A Drain Naturally: Best Homemade Drain Cleaners
A clogged drain is an extremely common issue that you want to resolve fast and effectively. You can find many drain cleaners on the market that are pretty powerful, however, their effectiveness usually comes at a cost: they contain strong chemicals that are potentially harmful to the environment and your family as well.
What if you want to unclog a drain naturally, in an eco-friendly way? The good news is that you dont have to give up being green if you want to clean your drain: there are some highly effective homemade uncloggers that will do an amazing job when applied properly.
Note that while its true that there are many methods out there, only a few of them will deliver acceptable results. I know because Ive tried most of them. In this article, Ill share with you the most effective natural ways you can make your drain work again.
Lets dive in:
What Dissolves Hair Hair In A Shower Drain
Lets first talk about how to dissolve the hair clogging your drain. Is that the best way to go?
Honestly, there are some good natural remedies for dissolving hair. In fact, one of them is recommended below. But most of the time, the best methods are to use a tool of some kind. This ensures that all the hair has been removed without damaging your shower drain.
Unfortunately, chemical drain cleaners are harsh on your pipes and we dont recommend them. They can actually cause more damage that can lead to corrosion, leaks, and costly water damage.
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How To Unclog Hair From The Drain
Nobody wants to unclog hair from the drain.
Some people find themselves physically unable to they gag at the sight of all that mangled-up hair between their fingers as they lift it from the drain. If youre the type that hates to unclog the shower drain, maybe one of these methods will work for you.
Ways To Clean Hair Out Of The Drain
Hair gets stuck in the drain when the insides of the pipes become coated with soap, grease, or oil. When hair flows down, the coating is thick, so hair clogs.
Instead of reaching for chemicals right away, use these recommended natural drain cleanser hair dissolvers to fix that drain clogged and get rid of hairy balls from the pipes. Combining baking soda and vinegar is a great natural alternative to dissolve hair clog without harsh chemicals.
However, sometimes the clog is so strong and stubborn that chemical options would be the only option left.
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Vinegar Salt And Borax
While most of us think of borax as a chemical found in harsh cleaning products, it actually is a naturally occurring mineral. But it does have some amount of toxicity in it, so if you really want to be eco-friendly and green, this method might not be for you.
To use this method, combine ¼ cup of salt, ¼ cup of borax, and ½ cup of vinegar. Pour it down the drain, then follow it with a pot of boiling water. Let it sit for one hour then rinse it down with hot water.
Your clogged drain should be free and clear!
S To Unclog Your Drain With Baking Soda & Vinegar
Follow these easy steps to unclog your drain:
Step 1:
Start by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain.
Step 2:
Next, pour a cup of baking soda and 1 cup water/1 cup vinegar solution.
Step 3:
Cover with the drain plug and wait 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 4:
Pour boiling water down the drain again.
The bubbling reaction from the baking soda and vinegar helps to loosen the drain clog, and the boiling water in step 4 helps remove it from your pipes.
Baking soda and vinegar can serve as a natural drain cleaner. Ready for the science behind how it works?
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Grease And Other Ways Bathroom And Kitchen Drains And Plumbing Clog
Bathroom
If the hair was the only problem in a clogged drain, you could use an alkali to destroy the hair. But the oily and waxy nature of shampoo, conditioner, soap scum, body wash, deep hair treatment, etc., all goes down the drain and complicates the problem. The hair becomes caught on pipe connections and drain fittings, then the hair catches the other things.
Further, when you consider the water load that flows through them, the diameter of the drain pipes is too narrow. The average shower is over 8 minutes and uses nearly 20 gallons of water, most of which is cool by the time it hits the pipes. The average bath is more, usually around 30 gallons of water.
Kitchen
Obviously this will become clogged by food going down the drain.
If you have clogged drains and want to avoid dumping chemicals down them, consider using more of these homemade natural DIY drain cleaner methods.
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Stay Simple With Boiling Water
A pot of boiling water solves a number ofplumbingproblems. However, the experts say not to attempt this solution if you have PVC lines or a sink full of water. Otherwise, boil a pot full of water and then pour it down the drain.
The hot water often melts substances that line the walls of your pipes, dissolving a clog in moments. What if pouring boiling water down the sink does not help?
Consider adding up to five tablespoons of dish soap to about two liters of water before you pour it into the drain. The soap helps break up grease clogs, making the boiling water more effective.
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Add Borax To Clean Your Drain
Finding the right natural drain cleaner often gives you a chance to experiment with supplies in your kitchen. Gather your supplies before preparing this mixture. Youll need:
- A boiling pot of water
- 1 cup of white vinegar
Bring the water to a boil first. Once its boiling, add your dry ingredients and mix them. Then, take the pot off the heat and allow it to sit and cool for about an hour.
As the mixture cools, it should become clear. Once you notice that the water appears clear, its ready for you to use as a drain cleaner. Pour the mixture down your clogged drain, boil another pot of water, and pour that down the drain to rinse the mixture away.
Dishwashing Detergent And Hot Water
For those who love using coconut oil in your beauty routine, you might notice your drain has been slow. Itâs possible you have a grease clog in your drain. Thereâs also the âoopsâ factor of accidentally pouring or spilling grease into your kitchen sink after cooking.
Weâve got you covered with this degreasing homemade drain cleaner. Put two tablespoons of your usual dishwashing detergent into a pan of boiling water, then slowly pour the hot water into the drain. This is especially effective at breaking up fatty grease clogs because you are returning the fats to a liquid state, then the detergent helps move the grease out of the drain and down the pipes. Greener Ideal recommends doing this once a week, which might make sense if you cook with a lot of greases or use beauty products that could clog your drain.
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Dish Detergent And Hot Water
This homemade cleaner is highly effective against clogs that contain mostly grease or oily substances, therefore you can expect the best results if you use it on kitchen sinks. On the other hand, dish detergent and hot water usually wont help you out if you need to deal with a hair-clogged drain.
How it works:
The hot water melts the built-up grease in the pipe, and the dish soap promotes the process by dissolving the fat molecules in the water. This way you can remove a considerable amount of fat from the drainage system thats blocking the flow of water and narrowing the diameter of the pipe.
What youll need:
- 3 tablespoons of liquid dish detergent
- 1 pot of hot water
Instructions:
Are Natural Products Good To Clear Clogged Drains
Of course, yes. Natural products are always the best options whether you are dealing with clogged drains or any other problem. They are gentle, effective, and, most importantly, safe. That said, its always better to use natural products as your first line of defense against drain clogs.
When the clog is too stubborn, chemical cleaners can be used. In any case, make sure to use them as a last resort and in sparring amounts. Excessive use of these harsh chemicals can damage your pipes and cause other problems.
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More Considerations For Drains Clogged With Hair
Organic or chemical
The difference between an organic clog remover and a chemical product is the active ingredients.
Organic or natural cleaners usually use enzymes, which break down hair and other organic material like food, waste or mold. Organic or natural products are not as corrosive on pipes as chemicals. The downside is organic clog removing products can be less powerful and therefore slower.
Chemical products for removing clogs, for instance, bleach or Drano, as well as alkaline-using products will remove a clog, typically quickly. Chemicals can corrode pipes, drains, tile and inner parts. They are also corrosive, even destructive and damaging, if used frequently or in too large an amount. Chemical products should not be used in toilets as they can damage porcelain. The chemicals dissolving hair or other material create heat. In a confined space, the heat creates corrosion, then quickly a crack and leak, in porcelain.
Fighting Odor
Hair clogs or really any stoppage in a drain or pipe can lead to nasty odors. Drain cleaners do varying jobs eliminating odors. The best way to kill the odor is to effectively unclog and drain the drain. A certain scent might be an added bonus, but its not all that telling as far as removing the clog.
Follow Proper Instructions When Using Chemicals To Unclog A Drain
The main idea here is to follow the instructions with whatever method or product you use.
Try Baking Soda And Salt
Seems like baking soda does wonders with clogs, right?
If the previous method didnt work, we have an alternative for stubborn hair clogs in your drain.
This time you will mix a cup of baking soda and a half cup of salt.
Pour the mixture down the drain and leave it overnight.
It will fuzz numerous times and dissolve balls of hair in the drain.
In the morning, boil two cups of water and flush down the drain with it.
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How To Remove A Shower Drain Cover
Most shower drains are held in place with a screw in the center. Here are the steps to remove it:
Heres a video on how to remove a show drain cover
What Is That With Hair And Drains
If you were curious about problems hair causes in your drain, then you should know that hair is not the only one to blame when it comes to such clogs.
However, as it tends to collect in balls and it is sticky, that causes further, serious clogs.
Even though hair tends to clog shower drains the most, some of the hair can sneak into the drain in your kitchen as well.
And, as you know, kitchen drain and pipes are already prone to clogging due to grease and oils, which makes the problem worse.
However, this is not the end, as the risk of hair clogs gets higher if you have hard water.
The minerals from hard water create soap scum when in reaction with soap, which makes a sticky environment, perfect for adhering hair.
What is more, hair sometimes travels right to the larger drain line or the main sewer line, where the unclogging seems very tough, and you would have to call a plumber.
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Tools Like Plungers And Hooks
Last but not the least, many, if not most clogs may require a bit of manual labour. If the clogging is mainly due to hair, you might be able take it out with your hands if you can reach it, or opt for a hook tool. Plungers work great at clearing out less severe blockages you might not be able to reach. Assess the type of clogging before choosing the appropriate tool.
How To Clean A Smelly Drain In Bathroom Sink
The smell in a drain is usually caused by bacteria.
Here are a couple of ways to clean a smelly drain:
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Clogged Drain With Hair
If your tub or skin started retaining water, the chances that you are dealing with a drain clogged with hair are pretty much high. What is more, when you reach down to solve the issue, you are left with a disgusting slimy hairball in your hand.
This probably makes you so angry because you try to throw as much hair as you can in the trash, and you still couldnt catch it all.
Instead of reaching for strong chemicals right away, first, try natural solutions like baking soda and vinegar. If clogs are strong and stubborn, you can go for chemicals such as bleach. Clogged drain with hair will be a thing of the past.
The Hidden Home Remedy For Clogged Drains
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a natural compound that can dissolve mineral deposits and organic materials. It has disinfectant properties that can fight odor-causing bacteria and fungi \that means it is up to the task of managing that mangled hair.
3 easy steps to use baking soda to unclog a drain:
Unclogging a hair-clogged drain using baking soda will require baking soda, white vinegar, and hot water.
For a stubborn clog, try pouring a cup of baking soda and a half cup of salt down the drain and let the mixture stay in the drain overnight before flushing it with two cups of boiling water.
The good news is these natural methods will not harm your pipes nor the environment. In fact, its a good idea to use this process as regular maintenance for your drains.
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How To Use A Drain Snake
If you try the drain cleaners above to no avail, you may need to go in and manually get out the source of the clog. A drain snake, also known as a drain weasel, is an easy way to do thatâjust don’t try to DIY one with a wire hanger. “I do not ever recommend using the wire hanger method as we often see broken p-traps from the rigid sharp metal poking through the bottom. Once this occurs there is no longer a seal on the plumbing system to keep unpleasant sewer gasses from entering the home,” says Mulder. “The better suggestion is to use a small drain weasel.”
Does Lemon Juice Unclog Drains
Lemon is another great unclogger, and generally a really good cleaning agent, often used with baking soda and/or vinegar. Similarly to previous combinations with baking soda, here youll also need to pour boiling water down your drain, then use 8 ounces of baking soda followed by 8 ounces of lemon juice, and finish with boiling water . This should do the trick.
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Vinegar And Baking Soda
Pour one cup baking soda, followed by one cup vinegar, down the drain. Plug the drain and let sit for one hour. Then, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. Repeat if necessary.
The most significant benefit of these two components is that they remove all types of dirt and bacteria due to their absorbent properties. If that were not enough, they act as a disinfectant and an excellent facilitator to remove clogged drain hair.