It is hard to believe when someone says they have not clogged a drain ever. The worst clogs occur at the time in vacations when you have many guests visiting and hence many users of the bathrooms. The same goes for the kitchen as well. We use them more and with lesser care. Moreover, the higher the number of users is, there will be higher chances of misuse.
Assume a thanksgiving dinner. You will be in such a rush not to care about what you are pouring down the drain, starting from liquid turkey fat to potato peels, and somewhere in the middle, the kitchen drain gives up, leaving you helpless. It leaves you searching for the home remedy of drain clog, as there are no technicians available for the job during the vacations.
The situation becomes worse when the usual chore of plunging the drain does not even help. And even if it does, this is not the most pleasant sight for your guests to see you dropping the drain pre-dinner.
What is even worse than a clog is being forced into the situation of using dangerous chemicals to clean the drain clogs instead of using a home remedy of drain clog just because you are in a hurry.
However, there are several other ways to clear out these clogs and speed up the water flow. You can do that by using any of the home remedies of drain clog that is quicker than and as effective as the rest of the market’s treatments.
But before you know how you can clear out the drain clogs or you want to learn a home remedy for a drain clog, you need to know what usually causes these drain clogs. If you know the causes beforehand, you will be able to prevent these clogs in the first place even before they occur.
What Causes These Drain Clogs?
Have you ever attempted to stop air from a leaking air mattress? Isn’t it impossible to do so without finding out where precisely the air is leaking? The same applies to the drain clogs as well. Before you can go about clearing those drain clogs, you need to know where the clog is and what caused the drain clog. Otherwise, you can’t cure the problem of a drain clog.
We know you are here for a home remedy of drain clog, so the first thing you should know is that you can also use the baking soda and vinegar solution here in all other DIY tips. Nevertheless, several other green solutions work.
Mostly the household drain clogs are caused due to the following reasons.
Kitchen Sink Clog Causes
Fat, Oil, and Grease (or FOG): Fat and oil substances are the primary cause of the clogs in the kitchens and slow draining sinks. They flow through the sink drain smoothly due to the warm water, but as they move further down the drainpipe, they solidify upon cooling and get thicker too. It keeps building up until you start noticing the slow drain problem or even a complete blockade.
Food Particles: Sometimes-large, food particles and vegetable peels flow down the sink drain and start building up as trapped in the curved pipe under the sink. That is another primary reason for clogs in the kitchen drains.
Bathroom Sink Clog Causes
Hair: when it comes to the bathroom sinks, hair is the most common reason for the clogs. The hair smoothly flows down the sink drain with water but starts accumulating in the drainpipe and builds up until the drain is completely clogged. Mostly these clogs occur right below the drain.
Soap Scum: This might sound unbelievable, but the soap residue is also one reason for the clogs. The greasy residue and particles start coating the pipes’ internal surface and causing blockage or decreased water flow. Sometimes these become so bad that they can corrode the pipes.
If you want to know the home remedy of drain clog or remedies, read on to find out.
How to Remove the Clogs
We should all be aware of the early warning signs for the drain clogs. If the sink takes a little longer to drain, or you notice the water pooling in the shower around your feet, you should know there is something wrong, or something is about to go wrong. If you wait too long to take any action, one lucky day, you will notice your drain completely clogged and no water flowing out. And if you are careless enough not to take action now, be ready to have a burst pipe or only a useless bathroom.
The first thing you would do is remove the excess hair and gunk right outside the drain opening, but you do not see results. Then you try the remedies available in the market like drain cleaner liquids; they do not help. Then you push the plunger, and what if using that does not help as well?
Don’t you worry; we have listed ten practical ways to clear out the drain clogs and blockades you must try before contacting an expensive emergency plumber.
1. XionLab Drain Clog Remover
XIONLAB Safer Drain Clog Remover promise result. AWARD-WINNING Gel Liquid Shower Drain Cleaner was formulated with Innovative technology to attack clogs at the roots. This drain opener to clings to blockages, without generating toxic gases that open clogs in your pipes. Our thick, heavier-than-water pipe cleaner works quickly on fats, oils, grease, soap scum, lint & hair.
https://xionlab.com/xionlab-safer-drain-clog-remover
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar
Take half a cup of baking soda, open the drain cover and pour it in. now, take half a cup of vinegar and then pour it on to the baking soda. You might see it fizzing but do not worry; that is the magic happening. The fizzing will remove the grime, gunk, and hair that have built up in the drain. Let the solution sit there for an hour or several hours if you feel so. You can even leave it overnight if you prefer. After a reasonable amount of time has passed, now run hot water through the drain to flush the solution.
Alternatively, you can also make the mixture in the cup only to form a paste, and then pour it into the drain. The rest of the procedure is the same as above. It should clear out the clog or the problem of slow running water. It works as a fantastic home remedy of drain clog.
3. The Wet & Dry Vacuum
If you have a wet and dry vacuum, you can use it as a fantastic tool to unclog the drains. First of all, set it to vacuum liquids. Before vacuuming, cover up the vent to prevent a mess. Next, put the vacuum to action and create a seal around the drain opening to prevent it from sucking air from the surroundings. You can use the head of an old plunger for this purpose too.
Now turn on the vacuum at the highest settings and keep it running for a while. It will clear the clog and pull it into the vacuum bag. It might now work for everyone depending on the clog’s type and the power of your vacuum. However, this method, too, is worth trying as a home remedy of drain clog.
4. Caustic Soda
Before using this method, get some rubber gloves and eye protection goggles for your safety as Caustic soda can cause severe chemical burns. You can grab some from the local hardware store, but never forget to use precaution while transporting or using the chemical.
Take a mop bucket and fill it to the 3/4th level. Now carefully add 3 cups of caustic soda to it and stir with a wood log or an old spoon, large enough. It will start to fizz and heat up. Now pour the fizzing liquid into the drain and leave it there for 15 to 20 minutes. After the time has passed, flush the drain with boiling water.
Repeat the process once if you find it necessary.
5. Cleaning the Pipe
Some plumbing tasks might scare you to do, but this one is relatively easy. And this is a home remedy of drain clog as well. Take an empty bucket and place it under the U-Shaped pipe, as that is where the clogs usually are. The bucket will use to collect the water that is likely to spill.
Use a pipe wrench to loosen the slip nuts on both ends of your shaped pipe. You should be able to do this using your hands only. When the tube is free, please remove it from its place and turn it upside down. It will empty the contents into the bucket. You may also need to gently hit the pipe with the wrench to force out the debris stuck to its walls. You can again rinse it with water several times to flush out the remaining gunk out.
6. Salt and Baking Soda
Mix half a cup of table salt into half a cup of baking soda and pour it down the clogged drain. Leave it there for 10 to 15 minutes, and then pour boiling water into it. The solution of salt and baking soda in boiling water will form such a mixture that would be enough to clear out the nastiest buildups from the drainpipes.
After the paste formed in the drain has performed its action, pour hot water into the drain to flush out the paste and the loosened gunk and debris.
7. Dish Detergent
If you have a clogged toilet, this home remedy of drain clog can help you clear it out too. Fill one-third of a cup with dish detergent and then pour it into the toilet. Next, boil some water and then run it into the bathroom as well. The soap will loosen the built-up grease and debris in the drain, and boiled water will help it flush further down the drain with ease.
However, that is not it; now, you need to grab the plunger and start plunging. And if that doesn’t work either, you might need to make use of some rubber gloves here.
How to Prevent Drain Clogs from Happening Again?
Including knowing about, the home remedy of drain clog. You also need to understand how you can prevent those from happening again.
- Never put fat, oil, or grease down a drain or garbage disposal. Any item that contains high fat like bacon grease, coconut oil, peanut butter, or any other high-fat food should be cooled down and then properly disposed of in the trash. Should wipe the same on utensils into the garbage before you wash.
- If you use hot water to melt the fat so that they can run down the drain, they will cool down as they get into the drainpipe and clog it.
- Properly dispose of food waste, vegetable, and fruit peels into the trash. Never let them wash into the drainpipes down through the garbage disposer or sink drain.
- Get a hair filter installed in the bathroom drains. It will prevent the hair from entering the drain and clogging it. Also, never flush down the hair into the gutter while cleaning; always dispose of these in the trash.