Is There a Way to Clean a Stopped Drain?

A slow or clogged drain is one of the most annoying things you can have; oily water building up in your kitchen sink or soapy water gathering in your shower or bathtub is not a pleasing sight and cannot be ignored.

The good news is that you can often clear a slow or clogged drain on your own without needing to call a plumber. The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab specialists advise using the appropriate plunger depending on where the clog is located because this is the most secure method to do so (sink or toilet). Always use a plunger to prevent any chemical from spraying back up over you and into your eyes before applying any chemical cleaning. In addition, turn off the water supply, shut overflow outlets to maintain pressure, and always use a plunger before (not after!) using any chemical cleaner.

A chemical or enzymatic cleaner may be helpful if the drain is still clogged after using the plunger. Different cleaners work against clogs of different kinds and intensities; for example, a cleaner that works against a slow-moving clog is unlikely to work against a complete obstruction.

Chemical-based drain cleaners work the fastest but may be more dangerous. Enzymatic cleaners often offer less of a harm to your plumbing even if they are slower to eliminate obstructions (or yourself).

While analyzing data for product performance and safety and rating drain cleaning supplies and equipment, the Good Housekeeping Institute conducts corporate scientist interviews. We assess the product’s usefulness, neatness, and completeness as well as the truthfulness of the claims made on the label and inside the item. After reading product reviews online, we occasionally ask users to test the product on real household clogs.

The drain cleaning equipment and supplies listed below were selected after careful examination of our earlier evaluations and experiences with them, company research, and favorable internet consumer reviews.

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What Leads to Gross Drain Clogs?

Have you ever attempted to halt the deflation of an air mattress that is leaking? Until you locate the hole, the air loss cannot be stopped.

The same idea holds true for clearing a clogged drain. If you don’t understand the root of the issue, you can’t wash and unclog.

Causes of a Kitchen Sink Clog

• Kitchen sink blockages and sluggish draining sinks are most frequently caused by fat, oil, and grease (also known as FOG). – They are easily flushed down the drain when they are liquid (imagine hot oil in a skillet or dissolved fat in warm dishwater), but the fat cools as it passes through your pipes. The inside of the pipes are coated with this solid fat, which builds up in thickness until you get a slow drain or a complete blockage.
• Large food particles or vegetable peels that become stuck in the p-trap, the bent pipe under the sink, are another frequent source of kitchen drain clogs.

Causes of Bathroom Sink Clog

• The most frequent reason for bathroom drain clogs is hair. Hair readily drains down the drain with the water and then builds up inside the pipe until the line becomes blocked. These blockages typically happen directly below the drain.
• Greasy soap residue and particles can clog pipes by coating the inside of the pipes with a layer of soap scum. The soap buildup may occasionally get so bad that it corrodes the pipes.

Home Care Experts Suggest the Top 10 Drain Cleaners for Unclogging Drains

According to reviews by the Good Housekeeping Institute, these are the top drain cleaners:

• Drano Max Gel is the best drain cleaner overall. Best Enzymatic Drain Cleaner: Bio-Clean Liquid Clog Remover Best Drain Cleaner for Hair Clogs: Liquid Plumr Clog Destroyer + Hair Clog Eliminator
• CLR Clear Pipes & Drains is the best monthly build-up remover.
• Thrift Odorless Drain Cleaner is the best crystal drain cleaner.
• Green Gobbler Drain Opening Packs are the best single-use drain cleaner.
• XionLab Safer Drain Opener is the best chemical and enzyme drain cleaner.
• Ridgid K-6P is the best drain auger for clogged toilets. Snake from the toilet
• Vastar 3 Pack 19.6-inch Drain Snake: The Best Drain Cleaner Tool for Hair Clogs
• Bathroom Mushroom: The Best Bathtub Tool for Preventing Hair Clogs

How to Securely Utilize Drain Cleaners

Here are some crucial safety measures to observe when unclogging clogged drains:

• Follow all instructions on a drain cleaner’s label precisely. Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the space. Don’t use the drain cleaner for any longer than recommended.
• Put on gloves and eye protection. When pouring the drain cleaner, avoid standing in a tub or shower stall.
• Spray the drain cleaner cautiously to prevent spills. Some chemical cleansers’ acidic properties can harm nearby stone, marble, stainless steel, and other surfaces.
• Never pour down a second cleaner if the first one doesn’t work or combine drain cleansers with other cleaning agents, especially homemade ones. Explosions or hazardous gas may result from the chemical reaction.
• After using a chemical cleaner, always flush the drain thoroughly while adhering to the recommendations on the package about the temperature of the water and the length of the rinse.
• Never use a chemical cleaner to unclog a toilet. Use a plunger, a toilet auger (a regular drain snake might harm or shatter the porcelain), or a natural enzyme cleanser. Contact a licensed plumber if the obstruction persists.

Clog-Removing Drano Max Gel

The consumer favors this high performer. Drano Max Gel Liquid Clog Remover is a thick gel that descends through standing water to the source of the clog and gets to work melting soap scum, grease, and other gunky clogs while being safe for plumbing and septic systems. It dissolves hair and melts other gunky obstructions like grease and other junk. The gel works in 15 to 30 minutes for total obstructions or slowly moving drains. This remedy may be applied once more if the obstruction persists.

Eliminator of Hair Clogs

Hair clogs in sink, tub, and shower drains are quickly cleared by the thick gel of Liquid Plumr. The effectiveness was praised by test subjects. Septic systems are safe, as are pipelines and drains. Pour the bottle of Liquid Plumr carefully down the drain after letting the water in the sink or tub drain completely. The process takes at least 15 minutes. Liquid Plumr can be left in the gutter overnight to work on severely clogged drains; in the morning, give the drains a good flush with hot water.

Sewage-System Bacteria

The organic waste such as hair, grease, soap scum, paper, food particles, and more is digested by Bio-Clean using a unique mixture of naturally occurring bacteria and enzymes. It works best overnight on slow drains and as a once-per-month maintenance treatment. Being an enzymatic cleaner, it works more slowly than conventional chemical drain cleaners. It won’t completely eliminate a blockage, and numerous applications may be necessary to completely clean partially blocked drains. Numerous reviewers have also used Bio-Clean as a product for preventative maintenance and are adamant about its efficiency. Bio-Clean can be used in toilets without risk because to its formulation.

Disinfect & Clean Drains

When it comes to drains, prevention is key, and CLR’s Clear Pipes and Drains makes it easy to keep your pipes clear and avoid clogs with a quick, once-monthly treatment. The ease of use (it only takes five minutes!) and subsequent clarity of the drains were praised by test subjects. Simply pour two ounces (four tablespoons) of the scent-free liquid down your drain, let it work all night, and then flush with fresh water in the morning. Additionally, it can be used to unclog slow drains.

Drain Cleaner Without Odor

Thrift’s drain cleaner asserts to work in just 60 seconds on slow-flowing drains and is secure for septic system upkeep. After 60 seconds, flush the drain completely after using hot water to warm the pipes, dissolve, and activate the crystals. The speed at which it operates has astonished reviewers. Grease traps can have it work all night. The Thrift drain cleanser is a powerful chemical cleaner that should not be used in toilets or garbage disposals.

Taking Out Packs

Not a mess, no measuring. Clearing a slow-flowing drain can be incredibly simple with Green Gobbler’s single pacs. There are three pre-measured ready-to-use powder packets in each container; to use, simply add water and wait 15 to 30 minutes before flushing (or stay overnight for tough clogs). While the packs themselves are odorless, some clogs may be smelly as they dissolve; nevertheless, the scent goes away after the drain has been fully cleaned. Green Gobbler received a 5-star rating from more than 4,000 Amazon users, who praised its effectiveness.

More Secure Drain Opener

The XionLab Safer Drain Opener clears blockages caused by grease or hair (but is not ideal for food particles). The gel, which strikes a mix between mild enzymatic cleaners and acidic/caustic cleaners, will sink through soft, transparent blockages and standing water in about two hours (tougher clogs will take longer, sometimes overnight). One reviewer gushed about how “works like a charm” it was.

6 ft. Toilet Auger ZK6-P

Where a plunger failed, a toilet auger may likely be successful. The porcelain of a clogged toilet can be damaged when a standard drain snake is used on it, but the Ridgid has a vinyl protective barrier that helps prevent cracks and scratches. The cable’s bulb head may be rotated down the drain line past the toilet to dislodge and clean clogs that have become caught there thanks to the ergonomic handles.

Drain Snake, 19.6″ (3-pack)

The flexible Vastar Drain Snake is a low-cost choice to clear clogs mechanically and is ideal for kitchens and bathrooms since it penetrates deep into drainpipes and flexes at the P-trap, where the majority of obstructions occur. The barbs grip hair and other filthy clogs, helping you to remove or dislodge them. However, many users also reminded us of how unpleasant some of these clogs smell, so take that into consideration. After use, the Vastar Drain Snake can be cleaned or discarded.

Bathtub Drain Guard

The ingenious design of the TubShroom, a winner in our Best Cleaning Product Awards for 2020, enables it to sit inside the bathroom tub drain, neatly collecting hair around it as the water drains. Pull the TubShroom out of the gutter and wipe it down to clean it. It doesn’t need any chemicals and fits normal drains. Although it isn’t exactly a drain cleaner, this method is excellent for preventing hair clogs and performed so well in our tests at the GH Cleaning Lab that we had to include it.

How to Use Baking Soda to Unclog a Drain

A common kitchen ingredient, baking soda, can be used to unclog drains that are stinky and clogged. The most frequent causes of clogs in kitchen sinks are fat, oil, and grease. The most frequent causes of obstructions in bathroom drains are hair and soap residue. If baking soda works, try it first before using chemical drain cleaners or disassembling the drain trap.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a mineral substance that occurs naturally. Mineral stains and organic substances like grease that are slightly acidic in nature can be dissolved by a little alkaline powder. Additionally, baking soda contains mild disinfectant qualities that can fight bacteria and fungus that produce odors. Additionally, regular cleaning with baking soda may stop clogs in their tracks.

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Safety Factors

Baking soda is usually preferable to utilizing a chemical drain cleaner if you don’t feel like taking apart the drain trap to unclog it. Chemical cleaners do not always remove blockages, and their caustic nature makes them exceedingly dangerous for the skin and even capable of causing major burns. Some apartment buildings expressly restrict chemical cleansers, and professional plumbers typically advise against using these products. Give one of these simple homemade baking soda methods a shot before using a toxic commercial drain cleaner.

Also, be careful when dumping boiling water down the drain and when heating water on the stove.

The Frequency of Drain Cleaning

Drains should be flushed once a week with hot water and liquid dish soap that can cut through fat, such as Dawn. If you notice that the water is draining slowly, immediately clean your drain with baking soda. This procedure can be used to maintain your gutters on a regular basis. For instance, if you store a box of unopened baking soda in your refrigerator to absorb odors, when it’s time to replace the tube, use the old baking soda to flush your kitchen drain.

• Heat Boiling Water You can microwave a large pourable measuring cup or a tea kettle filled with boiling water to heat it.
• Fill the drain with hot water and dish soap: Pour some boiling water down the drain gently after adding some grease-fighting dish soap. Dish soap will aid in clearing obstructions caused by grease.
• Fill the Drain With Baking Soda: Activate the drain with 1 cup of baking soda. If you have a smaller drain that makes it difficult to pour directly into the drain opening, you can use a measuring cup to do this or a funnel.
• Vinegar is used after: In the drain, pour one cup of distilled white vinegar. The auditory response that follows shouldn’t come as a shock. A mild acetic acid is present in vinegar, while baking soda is an alkaline material. When the two are combined, they react quite strongly to balance one another; the fizzing sound you hear is the result of this reaction, which frequently clears drain obstructions.
• After the fizzing stops, wait five minutes before flushing with more hot water. Take use of this opportunity to boil 2 cups of water. With this extra hot water, flush the drain.

Effective Natural Homemade Drain Cleaners

Everyone experiences this, but when you have home visitors around and dirty water backs up in the sink or tub, it may be embarrassing.

If you want clear drains but don’t want harsh chemicals in your home, you could feel torn about using non-toxic remedies.

• Boiling two liters of water and adding a few tablespoons of liquid dish soap to it will make hot water and dish soap. Pour a small amount of this liquid down the sink gradually. This approach might need a few tries, but since it heats the grease back to a liquid to flow out of the pipe, it works wonders on grease clogs.
• Straighten the wire coat hanger out, but keep the hook. Make sure you have a bag for groceries or another container to dispose of your findings. To remove any food or hair accumulation that is impeding the pipe’s path, use the hanger’s hook end to fish in the drain. Run hot water down the sink after you’ve taken out as much as you can.
• Start with 1/4 cup each of salt, borax, and vinegar. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar after that. When it starts to clear, add a kettle of boiling water and let it sit for at least an hour. Finally, rinse everything down the drain with hot tap water.
• Baking soda and salt should be combined. Pour a little under a half cup of each down the drain. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes or up to the next day. Clear it with a kettle of boiling water once it has had some time.
• Plunger: Typically used in the kitchen sink. Try using a plunger to unclog any food that has become caught at the drain curve underneath the sink, which is difficult to access with a hook. First, remove any dishes or rags from your sink.

How To Stop Drain Clogs From Recurring

To stop the issue from happening again after clearing a clogged drain, adhere to these five recommendations:

• Never dispose of fats, oils, or grease in the sink or through the garbage disposal.
• Any fatty material (such bacon grease, coconut oil, butter, peanut butter, and other fatty foods) needs to be chilled before being thrown away or wiped into the trash before washing.
• Avoid melting fats with hot tap water so they can be poured down the drain.
• They’ll cause your pipes to chill and clog!
• Throw away food scraps and vegetable peels in the garbage!
• Never put rice, spaghetti, celery, onion peels, potato peels, banana peels, eggshells, potato peels, or any other peel down the sink or garbage disposal.
• For information, consult your manufacturer’s manual.
• Put a hair filter in the drains of the bathroom.
• When cleaning, never flush hair down the drain.
• Clean up any loose strands, then dispose of them in the trash.
• Once a month, use hot water and salt to clean the drains in the kitchen.
• Combining these two methods stops drains from clogging and maintains them operating at full capacity.

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Conclusion

The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab recommends using a plunger to clear a slow or clogged drain, turning off the water supply, shut overflow outlets, and using a chemical or enzymatic cleaner if necessary. The most important idea is to understand the root of a clogged drain and use the top 10 drain cleaners to unclog it, such as Drano Max Gel, Clr Clear Pipes & Drains, Thrrift Odorless Drain Cleaner, Green Gobbler Drain Opening Packs, and XionLab Safer Drain Opener. Drain cleaner safety measures include following instructions, avoiding standing in a tub or shower stall, spraying cautiously, never pouring down a second cleaner, flushing thoroughly, and using Drano Max Gel Liquid Clog Remover. Bio-Clean, CLR’s Clear Pipes and Drains, Thrift’s Drain Cleaner Without Odor, and XionLab Safer Drain Opener are all effective drain cleaners. Baking soda is a common kitchen ingredient that can be used to unclog drains that are stinky and clogged.

Baking soda is an effective natural drain cleaner, but be careful when dumping boiling water and heating water on the stove. It should be flushed once a week with hot water and dish soap. Non-toxic remedies such as boiling two liters of water and adding a few tablespoons of liquid dish soap to it can help clear grease clogs. The most important details are to never dispose of fats, oils, or grease in the sink or garbage disposal, to avoid melting fats with hot tap water, and to use hot water and salt to clean drains once a month.

Content Summary

• The good news is that you can often clear a slow or clogged drain on your own without needing to call a plumber.
• using any chemical cleaner.
• A chemical or enzymatic cleaner may be helpful if the drain is still clogged after using the plunger.
• While analyzing data for product performance and safety and rating drain cleaning supplies and equipment, the Good Housekeeping Institute conducts corporate scientist interviews.
• Have you ever attempted to halt the deflation of an air mattress that is leaking?
• If you don’t understand the root of the issue, you can’t wash and unclog.
• Causes of Bathroom Sink Clog The most frequent reason for bathroom drain clogs is hair.
• How to Securely Utilize Drain Cleaners Here are some crucial safety measures to observe when unclogging clogged drains: Follow all instructions on a drain cleaner’s label precisely.
• Don’t use the drain cleaner for any longer than recommended.
• Spray the drain cleaner cautiously to prevent spills.
• Never use a chemical cleaner to unclog a toilet.
• It works best overnight on slow drains and as a once-per-month maintenance treatment.
• Bio-Clean can be used in toilets without risk because to its formulation.
• Disinfect & Clean Drains When it comes to drains, prevention is key, and CLR’s Clear Pipes and Drains makes it easy to keep your pipes clear and avoid clogs with a quick, once-monthly treatment.
• Drain Cleaner Without Odor Thrift’s drain cleaner asserts to work in just 60 seconds on slow-flowing drains and is secure for septic system upkeep.
• The Thrift drain cleanser is a powerful chemical cleaner that should not be used in toilets or garbage disposals.
• Clearing a slow-flowing drain can be incredibly simple with Green Gobbler’s single pacs.
• Where a plunger failed, a toilet auger may likely be successful.
• The porcelain of a clogged toilet can be damaged when a standard drain snake is used on it, but the Ridgid has a vinyl protective barrier that helps prevent cracks and scratches.
• After use, the Vastar Drain Snake can be cleaned or discarded.
• Pull the TubShroom out of the gutter and wipe it down to clean it.
• How to Use Baking Soda to Unclog a Drain A common kitchen ingredient, baking soda, can be used to unclog drains that are stinky and clogged.
• If baking soda works, try it first before using chemical drain cleaners or disassembling the drain trap.
• Baking soda is usually preferable to utilizing a chemical drain cleaner if you don’t feel like taking apart the drain trap to unclog it.
• Give one of these simple homemade baking soda methods a shot before using a toxic commercial drain cleaner.
• If you notice that the water is draining slowly, immediately clean your drain with baking soda.
• Fill the Drain With Baking Soda: Activate the drain with 1 cup of baking soda.
• If you want clear drains but don’t want harsh chemicals in your home, you could feel torn about using non-toxic remedies.
• Boiling two liters of water and adding a few tablespoons of liquid dish soap to it will make hot water and dish soap.
• Straighten the wire coat hanger out, but keep the hook.
• To remove any food or hair accumulation that is impeding the pipe’s path, use the hanger’s hook end to fish in the drain.
• Try using a plunger to unclog any food that has become caught at the drain curve underneath the sink, which is difficult to access with a hook.
• Put a hair filter in the drains of the bathroom.
• Clean up any loose strands, then dispose of them in the trash.
• Once a month, use hot water and salt to clean the drains in the kitchen.
• Let Cleaner Melbourne handle it.

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