DIY tips for clearing a clogged drain


The drain in my bathroom sink seems to get clogged every year and every year I'd shell out money for a plumber to come snake it for $50. The root of the cause is partly the design of my waterfall faucet I installed and then the thick face masks I use and hair which I try really hard not to go into the drain.

Well for the first time my kitchen sink got clogged and when I called around for price quotes everyone started at $200 for the first hour...umm no. So I looked for a solution to do it myself. First I used a mini plumger and worked the sink to no avail. Then I unscrewed and cleaned the P trap underneath the sink, no change. Next I tried to snaked the line into the wall, but have to admit I'm no expert on this and thought I'd better leave this to the experts. I wanted to avoid chemical drain products because they do more harm than good by eroding the pipes so I didn't go for Drano. Instead, I bought Zep Drain Care which is a biodegradable enzyme based formula made up of bacterial strains that break down the minerals in your drain. After 3 days of treatment, my clog was gone!!! Now I make sure not put much food scraps/vegetable peels down the drain and used cooking oil gets poured straight into the trash. I'm no longer using my garbage disposal as much.

For my bathtub I use a drain catch to catch hair, bath salts which don't really dissolve and the occasional handmade soap I might use that become solid and clog. In fact just using that drain catch tells me which products to stop using as I have to replace the drain catch every year due to not being able to fully clean it. That cheap investment prevents me from having to call a plumber again to have it snaked.

Another tip I learned for monthly maintenance is to put a cup of vinegar down the drain and then after a half hour of sitting time without using the sink to then follow up with a cup of boiling water. I feel good using these products so that I'm not hurting the environment or my wallet.

While we're on the topic of green cleaning products, my favorite cleaning company Mrs Meyers just released some limited time spring scents in Lilac and Peony. They already sold out once so be sure you pick yours up soon as they smell heavenly!


Related Posts:


2 comments

  1. Those drain catch things are amazing! It's disgusting yet awesome what all they can pick up!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am going to try that vinegar and boiling water tip. My upstairs bathroom sink has been slow draining for weeks and I didn't know what to do. I will try to find that product to help clean it out. Thanks for the tips!

    ReplyDelete