Blocked drains are a nightmare and can cause huge issues to your household. From slow draining kitchen sinks to sitting water in a bath tub, blocked drains can affect your day to day life and routine.
The average person doesn’t have an extensive toolkit of drain unblocking equipment stored away for these situations. But the chances are, you already own everything you need to clear your blocked drains, or you can simply pop to the corner shop to get them.
We’ve compiled 9 easy methods of household drain unblocking for you to follow below to make your life easier.
Boiling Water
If you haven’t tried this trick yet, you might be kicking yourself! An incredibly easy and convenient way to clear mild but annoying blockages. It’s worth trying this method for blocked kitchen and bathroom sinks where the root cause of the blockage is easily dissolved.
Method:
Boil a full kettle of water. Slowly, pour it down the plug hole or blocked drain. This should be done in stages: slowly pour for a couple of seconds, then pause for a couple of seconds, and repeat. Hopefully you will start to see the water passing through more quickly as the boiling water dissolves matter such as fat blocking the drains or built up cosmetic products. If you don’t see a clearance straight away, try a couple of times. If not, it might be worth trying a more aggressive method.
Plunger
This method of drain unblocking is a classic, but for good reason! It isn’t the easiest technique as it requires some upper body strength and endurance. But with a little persistence, plungers are incredibly effective for dislodging blockages in your drain pipes.
Method:
Place the plunger over the plug hole of the blocked drain, and push it until you can feel it seal over the edges. Pump it up and down quickly and rigorously, without breaking the seal. Test to see if the blocked drain is cleared by running a little water down it, then repeat if necessary.
Bonus tip: Don’t own a plunger? You can actually use the same drain unblocking method without a plunger if you’re willing to do a bit of DIY! If you take a string mop and tie a plastic carrier bag around the end of it, you can use the same movement to create a similar effect to a plunger. Useful when you’re in a pinch!
Vinegar & Baking Soda
Baking soda and vinegar are highly practical ingredients that you’re sure to have seen as remedies for all sorts of household issues. But have you tried using them to unblock your household drains? The chemical reaction that occurs when you mix baking soda and vinegar creates a powerful fizzing effect that can dislodge stubborn blockages. It’s a very cheap way to unblock drain pipes in your household.
Method:
Begin by pouring boiling water into your drain. Then, take about half a cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain, letting it sit for a couple of minutes. While you wait, mix together a cup of vinegar, and a cup of very hot water. Pour this down the drain too and if you’re unblocking a sink or a bath tub, plug up the hole to keep the reaction below the surface. Let this sit for up to 10 minutes, then rinse once more with a kettle full of boiling water.
Manual Drain Cleaning
You’re experiencing a blocked kitchen or bathroom sink, you’ve tried the above methods but still haven’t seen the results you wanted. It might be time to try a more in depth approach to unblocking your household drains. This one is much trickier, but if you are willing, it should be a long lasting fix for your blocked drain pipes.
Method:
Access the pipes under your sink, and place a bucket underneath to catch any debris. Unfasten the P-Trap (the curve of the drain pipe at the very bottom) and let any blockages fall out. Using an old toothbrush, scrub around the insides of the pipes to fully clear them. Then, rinse all the pipework through with water, reattach the P-trap and voila!
Chemical Cleaning
You might not have a heavy duty chemical drain cleaner sitting around your kitchen cupboards, but most supermarkets stock a decent range of chemical cleaners. This is a great way to carry out drain unblocking without a big cost, and saves time on tinkering around with DIY methods.
Method:
Each chemical cleaner will have different instructions on the bottle / packet and it’s important you follow these closely. Ensure you wear protective gloves. Never mix products unless explicitly stated.
Baking Soda & Salt
Similarly to the baking soda and vinegar method, baking soda and salt create a chemical reaction with water that will set off a fizzing that should hopefully dislodge blockages in your drain pipes. Salt has a much more gritty texture that can scrub away at some blockages that baking soda and vinegar aren’t able to.
Method:
Pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then, pour a half cup of salt in afterwards. Let the two dry ingredients sit inside the drain pipes for two hours, or longer if you feel necessary. Then once again boil a kettle full of water and pour this down the drain to rinse it all through.
Drain Snake / Plumbers Snake
Yes, we began this article stating that it’s designed for those without an extensive drain unblocking toolkit. However, a drain snake is a very affordable piece of drain clearance equipment, and it makes the job so easy that we believe it’s worth it!
Method:
Most drain snake manufacturers will have their own instructions listed on the product, so we recommend following these. But generally, a drain snake is simple and involves threading the length of the tool down the drain, and pulling it back up along with any blockages.
Bonus tip: Really don’t want to spend a penny on your drain clearance? A wire coat hanger can be straightened and bent into the shape of a drain snake. Just be extra careful with this as if you’er clumsy you could cause more damage than good!
Enzyme Drain Cleaners (Biological)
If you’re environmentally conscious or simply don’t want to breathe in the fumes from harsh chemical cleaners, why not try a biological cleaner? These are great for bathroom drain blockages or to unblock a fat blocked drain, as they’re designed to dissolve organic matter. It’s worth keeping in mind that they work much slower than chemical cleaners, but for minor drain pipe blockage they are very effective.
Method:
Again, each different brand of enzyme cleaner will have their own instructions to follow on the packaging. It’s essential to read and follow these instructions thoroughly.
Dish Soap
This trick is ideal for blockages likely to be caused by grease. This could be your kitchen sink or even your bathtub if oily cosmetic products are a regular part of your routine. It’s incredibly cheap and a very simple method to unblock drains, however will only work on mild blockages.
Method:
Boil a kettle full of water. Add three tablespoons of dish soap to the water, and then slowly pour down the drain pipes that are blocked.
Call a Professional
If you’ve tried a couple or even all of the methods above but to no avail, we’re afraid it might not be that simple. Unfortunately not all blocked household drains are a DIY job, and some might be a symptom of a much larger issue.
Method:
Call The Drain Fixers to discuss your drain unblocking needs, our expert drain engineers are more than happy to offer you some guidance and a free quote. Our services include CCTV drain surveys to inspect your drains and discover the issues, and hassle-free, affordable blocked drain clearance.