Is there really such a thing as a one shot drain cleaner? This is a question that homeowners often address us and the truth is, we don’t believe in such. Most of you would find chemical cleaners available in supply shops and grocery stores. These are often highly concentrated and contain active ingredients such as caustic potash, lye and bleach. And though they can effectively clean your drains in a snap, know that they are not actually recommended for home use. They’re toxic which means that they are capable of inflicting harm on your loved ones upon ingestion or contact with the skin or eyes. What’s more important to stress out is that they can harm your pipes in the long run. If you are looking for ways to clean your drainpipes effectively, here are a few suggestions.
1. Hot Water
If you’re just trying to flush out grease and other sticky substances away from the pipes, a kettle of boiling hot water is enough to do the job. If you’ll take a look under your sink, your plumbing pipes have some sort of a U-shaped curve there which is the P-trap. Sometimes, grease accumulates in that spot, thereby causing clogs. Wrap a heating pad around the trap to melt oil that has already solidified. You may also warm it up with your hair dryer if you can hold it for several minutes there. Now once the trap is all warmed up, pour boiling water down the sink drain and that will flush the grease away.
2. Baking Soda & Vinegar
The combination of baking soda and vinegar is a popular cleaning agent! Just pour a cup of baking soda into the drain then follow it up with a cup of vinegar. They will create a chemical reaction that will fizz out any sticky substances inside the pipes. Remember to plug the hole after pouring the two ingredients inside so that gas won’t escape and the solution won’t flow out.
3. Enzymatic Drain Cleaners
Enzyme drain cleaners are not really chemicals. They are bacteria that eat away organic wastes inside the pipes, thus cleaning the system. They can get rid of hair strands, food substances and even molds and algae. You should take note though that they don’t work too fast. It takes a while for these things to do their magic so patience is recommended. Another thing that you have to remember is that while enzymes are good for cleaning drains, they are not really great at unclogging.
4. Baking Soda & Lemon Juice
If you want to give your drainpipes a refreshing clean, use baking soda but pair it with lemon juice instead of vinegar. The citric content of the lemon will give your pipes a fresh smell.
5. Alka Seltzer & Vinegar
Drop three to four tablets of Alka Seltzer into the drain then pour a cup of vinegar. They will create the same reaction as baking soda and vinegar.
6. Borax, Salt & Vinegar
Mix a quarter cup of borax, a quarter cup of salt and half a cup of vinegar. Thoroughly combine these three ingredients and then pour the solution into the drain. Pour a kettle of boiling hot water and they’ll get rid of wastes fast.
7. Air Cleaners
There are compressed air cleaners available in the market. They work by sealing the drain and shooting air into the system to force waste particles through the pipe.
8. Hooks & Claws
If you want to get rid of hair in your drain, you can get hooks or claws from plumbing supply shops or hardware stores. These can be inserted into the drain hole to hook out any substances including hair strands.
We hope that you enjoyed our blog about one shot drain cleaner. Should you need professional drain cleaning or unclogging, just look for a trustworthyParkland plumber. Douglas Orr Plumbing delivers affordable plumbing services in Parkland FL including septic tank and grease traps installation, sewer cleaning, leak detection, backflow prevention and many more! Call us at (305) 240-6731 to schedule a service!
Learn how to clean your pop-up sink drain. Watch this video to get tips!