Not many people like to spend a lot of time thinking about the plumbing in their home. The problem is that, whether you rent or own, there is a good chance that you will have to contend with clogged drains at some point. In some cases, you will need to bring in a professional plumber or plumbing company but there are some things that you can try first.
- Get out a wire hanger. Ok, they may not have been allowed in Joan Crawford’s home but a wire hanger may be all that you need to clear out the clogged drains in yours. Straighten a wire hanger and then bend it to fit through your drain. Push it as far into the drain as you can and then wiggle the end around to try to get at whatever is causing the drain to be clogged. This may take some patience but will be worth it if you can get the problem out of your drain.
- Pour down some vinegar and baking soda. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can be used for a number of things in your home. Cleaning out clogged drains is just one of them. What you need to do is make a mix of half white vinegar and half baking soda. You will notice it fizzing right away. Pour it down your drain and wait. You need to give the mixture at least 60 minutes (worse clogs that are made up of hair, grime and other gunk may need more time, you can leave it overnight). Complete the process by pouring hot water down the drain.
- Boil some water. This is a simple but effective way to clean your drain (or your garbage disposal). Boil some water and pour it down the drain. Do this slowly. Wait a minute or so and repeat. You can do this until you have gotten rid of the clog. Give this a little time.
- Try some liquid dish soap. This can work wonders. If the problem in your clogged drains is organic, the dish soap will help break it down. This is the same thing it does when you are cleaning your dishes. This works in drains and even better in toilets. Pour the disk soap (lemon scented works best) into the toilet or drain, follow with warm (not hot) water and then use a plunger. This works great if you have gotten cat litter down your toilet. It may take some time but it can work miracles.
- Try some serious chemicals. You can get sodium hydroxide (or other soda that is caustic) and pour that down your drain. You have to be really careful when you are using this kind of product because the same process the gunk and whatnot that is in your drain will do the same thing to your skin. So wear gloves. Mix some of the chemical with cold water. Pour this down your drain and wait. Give this about a half hour and then follow it with more cold water. Seriously, you need to be very careful with these.andnbsp;
- Buy yourself a snake of your own. A plumbing snake can work wonders in your home. If you have clogged drains, this will do what your wire hanger can do only on a bigger scale. This took looks like a long, metal snake and can be unwieldy to look at but can save a lot of money in the long run. If you do not want to use harsh chemicals, this can do the same thing. For homeowners, this tool should rank up there with a hose and a hammer for the items you need to have in your home. You will be happy with the investment when you have badly clogged drains and nothing else works.
Most people do not spend their days thinking about what goes down the drain but that can also prevent needing a plumber to help with clogged drains. Be careful to not let grease and oil from cooking get down your drains. This alone can help prevent problems.
If you try these home remedies for plumbing problems, you may need to bring in professional plumbers but these methods should be tried first.