How To Fix a Clogged or Slow Drain

Do your drains seem clogged or draining slower than usual? There are several reasons your kitchen and bathroom drains can back up. Those reasons include hair, grime, soap scum buildup, and toiletries that should have been thrown away rather than flushed.

In severe cases, there could be a problem with your home’s sewer lines. But most of the time you can get your drains working with some DIY drain cleaning. Below are some easy home remedies you can use to get a clogged drain working again.

How To Unclog a Slow Drain

A lot of people go out and buy a commercial drain cleaner. While these can work, some of them contain chemicals that end up causing damage to your pipes. And commercial formulas aren’t the best solution for drain cleaning or problems that keep returning.

A slow drain or a stopped-up drain in the tub could be a recurring issue due to hair. In these cases, using a plumber’s snake to catch and pull out the hair is a better solution than a commercial drain cleaner.

However, you can also try making your own drain cleaners with natural ingredients.

DIY Drain Cleaning

Baking soda and vinegar is a popular homemade drain cleaning solution. To do this, you’ll first pour half a cup of baking soda down the clogged drain. Then, you’ll follow with half a cup of vinegar. Close the drain and let the solution sit for an hour.

Once the hour is up, pour at least a cup of boiling water into the drain. Check to see if the slow drain is working again. If not, try repeating the steps.

If you think your kitchen drain is clogged because of grease, you can use a mixture of dish soap and hot water. Boil about two liters of water and mix in a few drops of dish soap. Once you have your mixture ready, pour it down the drain. Test the drain to see if it’s working and repeat the steps if needed.

Other Home Remedies for Slow Drains

Besides a plumber’s snake, you can also try using a plunger. A plunger works well in tubs and toilets. You’ll want to have enough water in the toilet or tub to cover the plunger.

Place the plunger over the drain and press down.

Pull up on the handle a few times without taking the plunger completely off the drain. After you’ve pulled up on the handle a few times, pull the plunger away from the drain. The clog should be gone if you see water going down smoothly.

Other DIY drain cleaning methods include salt, vinegar, and borax solutions. You can use a fourth of a cup of salt and vinegar, along with half a cup of vinegar and a cup of boiling water. After pouring all these down the drain, you’ll wait an hour before testing the drain.

Sometimes DIY drain cleaning methods don’t work or only work temporarily and you need the help of a professional. Plumbers have tools that can reach farther down the pipe and eliminate tough clogs do-it-yourself methods can not. Hiring a professional plumber can also prevent accidental water leaks. These can occur when pipes are not properly tightened after removal for cleaning or during removal when the water that was trapped in the pipe is released. The resulting flood of water can lead to further costly damage and cleanup.

For those that want to eliminate frustration, lost time, possible damage, or the need to purchase the correct tools or supplies you may want to skip straight ahead to hiring a plumber. Call Merit Plumbing in Sarasota, FL at 941-347-9297 today for more information about professional drain cleaning solutions that will have your water flowing freely in no time.