How many times have you went to a store to purchase a drain cleaning product only for that item to hardly do the trick? If you’re someone who throws chicken bones down the kitchen sink or who has horrendous plumbing that the toilet never flushes properly, then the answer is probably dozens.
So, what can you do limit the damage? Do-it-yourself (DIY) might be the answer.
There are many tactics you can take advantage of to unclog your drains as quickly and as harmless as possible. With a little bit of imagination, you return to dropping your wedding ring down the bathroom sink.
Here are five do-it-yourself drain cleaning tricks every person needs to know:
1. Use the Tools You Already Have
You may not believe it, but the tools you currently have at your disposal could do the trick.
The most obvious tool, of course, is the plunger. This can work like a charm, as long as you don’t concede defeat after a few strokes. By spending a few minutes on your toilet or bathroom sink with a plunger, you can immediately remove the clog.
If you don’t have a plunger yet, then be sure to purchase one almost immediately.
2. Your High School Volcano Project
Do you remember when your old volcano project from high school? Well, at the time you thought it was a useless endeavour. It turns out you were wrong. There is a perfect reason why you were given this assignment: Getting prepared to declog your drains.
For those who never had the pleasure of constructing a volcano, you need two ingredients: baking soda and vinegar. You then proceed to mix one-third of a cup of baking soda and one-third of a cup of vinegar in a measuring cup. It will fizz, but you should immediately pour the solution down the clogged drain.
You should wait an hour before you flush it with hot water.
Done!
3. Boiling Water is the Easiest Trick
When you’re too lackadaisical to do anything more than pour some water, then we have the solution for you: boiling water.
That’s right. One of the easiest measures to employ is the boiling water trick.
It’s as easy as it sounds. All you need to do is boil a pot of hot water and slowly pour it down the drain, whether it’s the kitchen sink or the shower drain. This is an all-natural solution, and it requires very little effort (remember, not all of us have the inclination to be the next Tim “The Toolman” Taylor).
4. No More Wire Hangers? Fuhgedaboudit!
In the cringeworthy film, “Mommy Dearest,” Faye Dunaway’s character, Joan Crawford, screams at her adopted child: “No more wire hangers!”
Well, skip this demand and embrace the wire hangers – at least for your drain cleaning endeavours.
It turns out that wire hangers can be a great tool in your question to eliminate clogs.
Here is what you do:
- Straighten a regular wire hanger.
- Bend one end to create a hook.
- Push the hook past the drain and begin to fish.
- Pull the gunk out.
Once you have done this, be sure to run hot water, or pour some boiling water.
You will see the results immediately.
5. Institute Prevention Tips
Finally, even if you have yet to experience clogged drains, you will inevitably endure the pain and anguish! With this in mind, it would be prudent to institution several preventative measures to ensure you don’t have to go through the headache.
So, what are some prevention tips to take advantage? Here are a few suggestions:
- Perform a monthly performance check on all your pipes and drains.
- Hire a professional plumber to inspect your pipes once a year.
- Be sure to clean your sinks, showers, toilets, and everything that contains a drain.
- Do not put certain items down the drain, such as animal bones, grease, food wrappers, and stringy foods.
By doing this, you won’t need to worry about clogged drains anymore!
Clogged drains can be a nuisance. It’s worse when they get clogged at the wrong times, like on a Sunday evening when you’re about to go to bed to get ready for the next day or on a Wednesday afternoon when you’re too exhausted to deal with drains.
By adopting these DIY tricks, you can be certain that the headaches will be minimized. Whether it’s the wire hanger or the volcanic solution, your drains will only be clogged for a short period of time.
