Bathroom Clogs
Open a Drain – no HazMat Suit Required
When the bathroom sink is clogged we immediately reach for the “drain cleaner.” It’s what millions of dollars in advertising has trained us to do.
But even as we read the directions on the label, “Open carefully. Do not squeeze bottle. Avoid splashing. Clean up spills at once. Keep hands, face and children away from drains while using…” and while we open carefully, being sure not to squeeze the bottle, we wonder. If this stuff is so nasty who is warning the fish and the ducks and the beavers who might be living, swimming, and eating in the water somewhere downstream from our newly opened drain?
Traditional drain cleaners are bad stuff. They are caustic, will burn right through rubber gloves, heck they have been used as a lethal weapon in more than one gristly horror novel.
But there are alternatives that are as effective, cheaper, and safer for humans, pipes, and the environment.
First, there are natural products that will open a clogged drain or, used regularly, keep the drain from clogging in the first place. There are also mechanical ways of cleaning out the pipes which can be employed by any do-it-yourselfer.
First the natural products.
A slow running drain can often be speeded up with a simple dose of very hot water. Many experts advise not to use boiling water if the pipes are PVC, but a temperature just short of boiling should be OK. Kitchen clogs are often caused by a build up of grease and really hot water will dissolve and move it and any food particles caught in it down and out.
Another solution for a minor clog – one where some water is still getting through – is to dissolve ½ cup of salt in 4 quarts of water and heat to just short of boiling. Pour it slowly down the drain.
A cup or so of dry baking soda poured down the drain followed by that hot water will also clear stoppages.
But there is a big Kahuna of homemade drain cleaners. The same mixture used to power grade school plaster-of-Paris volcanoes should certainly win out over a bit of soap and hair. Pour a cup of baking soda into the drain and follow it with a cup of white or apple cider vinegar. It will fizz and foam like crazy. Let it work for an hour or more then flush it with about a gallon of very hot water.
There are some commercial drain cleaners that use enzymes or bacteria rather than lye or acids and are eco-friendly. The enzyme cleaners (Earth Friendly is one brand) are supposedly not as effective as bacterial cleaners such as Drainbo. Both must be allowed to work for a long period of time, usually overnight, but the bacterial cleaners supposedly sprout colonies of bacteria within the pipes which continue to eliminate grease and the oily or waxy ingredients in shower gels and shampoos. These cleaners (and reviews from users) can be found on-line. Some hardware stores also stock them.
If these cures don’t work you will have to resort to mechanical means. We will talk about the proper use of plungers and snakes next.
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