Have you switched on the tap and found that the water doesn’t seem to drain? Is that gurgling sound from your sink driving you mad? Blocked drains are perhaps the top household problem that people experience, but do you need to call a plumber every time? What if you could just use simple items already lying around your home and be able to perform miracles?
Believe it or not, many everyday supplies in the kitchen and bathroom become the secret weapon against stubborn clogged drains. You won’t need to shell out bundles on a professional when you know the right technique, and with a little patience, you can usually get rid of most blockages fairly quickly and without much hassle. Let’s read about some clever, practical suggestions for fixing annoying drains with everyday items found in your home!
Employ Dishwashing Liquid & Hot Water to Unblock Drains
Effectively dissolving grease, soap has been shown to clean away dirt and grime and dust more rapidly than other commercial cleaners, as per Bond Cleaning Sunshine Coast. Cleaning drains and removing light buildups around the fixture will be easy using it. Boiling water would easily dissolve soap and grease in your drain. Once again, pour in some boiling water, then squirt washing-up liquid. Alternatively, mix the liquid soap in the boiling water before pouring it down the drain. Let the soap and hot water sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before more boiling water flushes it down the drain. This method is handy for sanitising drains while performing bond cleaning.
Flexible Drain Cleaning Brush for Removal of Hair, Threads, & Lint
Ends up in drains, particularly those found in bathrooms and laundry rooms, clogging up and making such drains hot spots when it comes to germ presence. Removing hair, threads, and lint is a task which could prove tedious without using a drain cleaning brush, which is a common household cleaning aid. Just make sure that it is flexible enough to get into the drain with little effort. After that, you can use it to remove any gunk from the drain and into the trash without even touching it.
Baking Soda Plus White Vinegar to Decontaminate Drains
Heavily soiled drains will not be remedied only by soap and boiling water. This means that you also need to decontaminate those drains using baking soda and white vinegar. The chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide gas, which helps to liquefy the dirt and grime in this process. After pouring the abrasiveness of the soap and hot water down the drain, one cup of baking soda should then be poured down, to be followed by one cup of white vinegar. Fizzing will be heard for about ten minutes or until the fizzing stops. Hot water should then be poured down to rinse away the dirt and deposits from within.
Plunge Drain to Agitate the Gunk & Grime
The unclear drain backs up the water or doesn’t drain at all. This is one of the simplest yet most efficient methods of unblocking a drain: with a plunger. It also creates a vacuum that disturbs the gunk & sludge that’s plugged in the drain, loosening it to flush out when the suction is released. So, after plunging the drain, pour boiling water into the drain to test it and see whether it’s reduced some of the residue. You can find more about what plumbing work you can legally do yourself on the Western Australia Government’s Building and Energy site.
Pouring Bleach Down Drains
The filthy stench emanating from soiled drains lures swarms of cockroaches, spiders, fungus gnats, drain flies, fruit flies, etc. These insects and pests transmit diseases in food and pollute the surfaces within the house. Therefore, unclog and disinfect the drains with bleach. The procedure is:
- First, pour boiling water down the drain and then pour in a cup of bleach.
- Cover it and let it sit for 30 minutes so that the grime dissolves.
- Finally, pour water to rinse it. This will deter pests due to the smell of bleach, thus allowing you to keep the fixture cleaner for a longer duration.
- Craft a Drain Cleaner from a Wire Coat Hanger
- If you don’t own a brush for cleaning drains, then improvise to clean the drains with a wire coat hanger. Open up the hanger to straighten it out, and create a hook at the end for catching blockage. This cleaning hack is useful whether clearing drains during bond cleaning or just general house cleaning.
Clear & Deodorise Drains with Lemon & Salt
Lemon contains citric acid, which dissolves grease, grime and dirt. Salt enhances this to become a hard-hitting household cleaning requirement with a combined action. Getting a lemon’s juice concentrate, mixing it with some salt, and pouring it down the drain are ways for using it dispel disgusting odours from your drains. After letting the mixture stay for 30 minutes or more inside the drain, hot water should be flushed in. Not only will lemon and salt clear the blockage, but they will also deodorise the drains, thus preventing the foul odours and keeping the house smelling fresh.
Unclogging Drains With Hot Water & Ammonia
Ammonia is a very common household cleanser, and it is one of the absolute best uncloggers and disinfectants for drains. Boil one litre of water, and mix it with one cup of ammonia. Pour this into the drain and let it stand for 30 minutes. If the solution does not drain, then use a plunger to break the clog loose. Finally, flush out the ammonia with plenty of water to maintain clean drains. This is the most effective means of sanitising drains in bond cleaning.
Clear the Clog with the Toothbrush
Usually, clogs are created in the drain by the drain trap, which is the drain’s body part that prevents the passage of water. You can easily scrub this part with a toothbrush since its narrow head can go inside the hinges. For better results, use a bendable toothbrush. Use a dishwashing liquid to wipe off the gunk, and the brush will lift off hair, lint, and other things blocking the drain trap. A nice old-fashioned remedy that works!
Conclusion
With easy measures composed of trivial headache-causing items set aside for drain cleaning, it proves possible to circumvent blocked drains yourself, for time, money, and vexation to end good plumbing in your home.
Also learn about Tips to Clean a Bathroom in Less Than An Hour
