Clear drain blocks with these easy hacks!

Is a drain in your house taking forever to empty? Does your shower flood? Well, you might have a drain clog on your hands. It’s important not to let these fester as a small problem could become even worse. Thankfully, experts at Octopus have just the tips you need to keep drain clogs at bay. 

Clear drain blocks with the following tips.

Kitchen ingredients 

Ingredients found in your cupboard might prove to be great solutions for any drain blocks or clogs around your home. One tip that is widely used is baking soda and vinegar. Follow these steps:

• Pour a vessel of hot water down the drain. 
• After a couple of minutes, pour baking soda and then an equal part of vinegar. 
• Let it stay there for around half an hour.
• Pour another vessel of hot water, making it easier for the clog to clear.

The reaction between hot water, vinegar, and baking soda is said to break down debris and also let it flow more freely down the drain to release any clogs. However, make sure not to use this on new metallic pipes as the baking soda might not react well. 

Other homemade methods are:

Salt and baking soda: In this, you can place an equal amount of salt and baking soda down your drain and allow it to stay for half an hour. Then, pour a vessel of boiling water.

Salt, lemon, and vinegar: In this combination, you mix salt and vinegar first in a bowl. Put equal parts together. After this, include half part lemon juice and mix again. Pour the whole thing down the drain and after half an hour, pour hot water.

Hot water and salt: Get a cup of salt and mix it with hot water. Pour this down the drain, and keep it there for half an hour. Pour an additional vessel of hot water after. 

Why salt? Because it’s perfect for unclogging debris and taking in bacteria. Do note that these types of homemade methods might not be the best choice for oil, grease, fat, and other tougher substances. 

Drain snake 

Drain snakes can be found in any hardware store. It’s a handy tool as it is specifically meant to remove clogs from your drain. With a part at the end that is created to fish out debris, these tools are durable enough and can go down your pipes with a lot of flexibility. 

Vacuum

A little-known method of getting rid of clogs is using a wet and dry vacuum. With this hack, you can try to take out the clog with the vacuum’s sucking mechanism. When you set your vacuum to wet, place it inside the clogged drain through an extension. Make sure that no air escapes from the drain. If there are still particles on the floor, wait for it to dry and then pick up the debris with a dry vacuum.

Plunger

You must have typically heard of a plunger being used on toilets, for removing any forms of clogs, but it’s also useful to get rid of your bathroom clog. It makes sense to clean your plunger before using it or you could even get a new one for your drain.

More chemicals

You can use chemicals, but not in large quantities, to clear out your drain. Make sure that you don’t use these in excess as they might corrode your pipes. 

These include hydrogen peroxide, caustic soda, borax, and more. You can also try dish detergents and hot water to clear out certain types of blocks as well, especially those involving grease and oil. Pour the detergent at first, and then pour a vessel full of hot water.

Drain cleaners

Drain cleaners are pre-mixed, and you need to use them as specified on the packaging. Older drain cleaners have a lot of toxic chemicals that will do much more harm than good to your pipes, such as sodium hydroxide. This can lead to harsh fumes and leaks, making the water dangerous to use.

Safer drain cleaners use green enzymes. They work incredibly well, penetrating the core of your drainage system, while also excluding very harsh chemicals. Perfect for clogs or fats, oils, and greases (FOG), its natural chemicals are ideal for the breakdown of organic material. 

Clearing the trap

In case these methods haven’t been of much use, another technique you can use is clearing away the U-shaped pipe, or trap, under your sink. For this, put a bucket beneath the track, take a plumber’s wrench, and loosen this at both ends. Remove the pipe and take out any contents onto the bucket. You can also use a toothbrush to take out any debris. 

Engage with experts to clear your drain blocks!

While there are some DIY methods that you can use to clear out your drain blocks, especially if they are clogs of FOG, you can always call in a professional as well.

Home DIY methods include using simple kitchen ingredients to break down debris and ensuring it goes down the drain. It’s important to get any clog nipped in the bud, and as soon as possible so that your plumbing problems don’t become even worse. Moreover, you don’t want your water pressure to become lower or a flood in your shower. This will ruin your environment and cause a smell.

In situations where no matter what you do, your drain clog isn’t going away, call in a professional company such as Octopus. Our plumbers are well aware of any types of drain blockages and can help you get your pipes back to normal. We advise calling an expert if it involves removing your pipes as they have the right tools and safety equipment, and if you try these yourself, you might even change the structure of your pipes or damage them further. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Simply call us on 800 3993 and our representative will get in touch with you. We also include electrical issues, repainting, and AC maintenance in our annual maintenance contract.