No Australian household is exempted from having clogged drains. In fact, this happens not just once but a lot of times especially when family members are not very keen on taking extra precautions when draining or flushing food and other items into the drains and toilets. The good news is there is no need to call a blocked drain plumber every time this happens, and in fact, there are various ways in which we can unclog our drains the natural way.
While there are plenty of drain chemicals being advertised in the market that promise to unclog your drains with ease, you have to take note that these contain toxic ingredients that not only harm the environment but may also destroy or corrode your drain pipes leading to more serious problems in the future. And so, we have put a shortlist of simple and chemical-free methods to unclog and help keep your drains clean and toxic-free.
1. BAKING SODA PLUS VINEGAR
This is actually one of the most popular methods to unclog and freshen up your drains. Do this by putting ½ cup of baking soda followed by ½ cup of vinegar down the drain. Cover with your drain plug and let sit for about an hour. Then, remove the drain plug and pour boiling water into the drain continuously until the drain clears.
2. DISHWASHING SOAP WITH HOT WATER
This technique is great to remove clogs caused by grease. All you have to do is boil about two litres of water and add in a few tablespoons of dishwashing soap. Then slowly pour this mixture down the sink. The heat from the boiling water plus the degreasing action of your dishwashing liquid will melt down grease that’s been stuck into your pipes.
3. SALT, BORAX, AND VINEGAR
If you have these at home, these three may help you clear your pipes. Use ¼ cup of salt, ¼ cup of borax, and ½ cup of vinegar. Pour everything into the drain then add a pot of boiling water. Let it sit for at least an hour. Once your drains have cleared, simply rinse with hot running tap water.
4. WIRE HANGER
Clogged drains can be stubborn because there might be something hard down there that can’t easily be flushed or melted with your other natural methods. So here’s where the wire hanger might help. Use the hook of the hanger to fish and scoop out those nasty items that are causing the problem. It could be food build-up, hair, or probably a small toy. Make sure to discard these properly using a trash bag. Once removed, clean the sink by running down some hot water.
5. PLUNGER
When all else fails, we always go to our trusted item in the house – the plunger. Using the plunger sucks, resurfaces, or pushes food and debris from inside your drains and clears it. Fill your sink halfway with warm water before plunging as the water helps put enough pressure for the plunger to do its job.
As you can see, there is no need to panic if your drains get clogged. There are plenty of ways to alleviate this problem and the best part is that all the things you need can be found inside your home. However, if after exhausting all these methods and the problem persists, it is best to call a professional plumber to look into your pipes.
