http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clearing-clogged-drains.html
Clearing Clogged Drains
By Annie B. Bond
My upstairs bathroom sink drain always needs attention: I think toothpaste is the culprit, but whatever, it always needs help.
You don’t need powerful industrial chemicals as the household cleaning industry would have you believe! Find out the surprisingly easy and non-toxic way I keep that drain open.
When our drains get clogged, we have been unwaveringly convinced that nothing short of the most powerful chemical arsenal will work. As a result, most of us resort to commercial drain cleaners that are some of the most
dangerous chemicals found in the home. Lye or acid, these products can harm health, the wastewater stream, and PVC pipes.
A gentle yet effective approach to coaxing free a clog from a drain is to use simple household ingredients instead of burning a hole through the clog with industrial lye or acid. There are even bacteria-based enzyme cleaners available in health food stores that eat the clog free from the pipe without harming everything else in which it comes into contact. And it is always worth it to try unclogging a drain first with an old-fashioned plunger; they very often do the trick. If all else fails, you might try an electric plumber’s snake, but it is recommended that to prevent injury, only professional plumbers should use this equipment.
Next: Clog-busting formulas
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64 comments
add your comment »This worked GREAT !! No chem's, and clean as a whistle.
Thanks so much for the info.
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Great Article check out my web site at http://seccohome.com
and http://prontotoday.com
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Woohoo! I had read this and forgot about it... until today when all the toilets and sinks in my little motel started backing up - nasty! I followed hubby's suggestion and tried Draino Max - lots of it. Nothing! So it's Sunday afternoon, we have 4 guests, and no plumber is going to come out at a rational price. Suddenly I remembered this and came looking. Baking soda, followed by boiling water, followed by vinegar, in each tub or sink all along the length of the clogged line and in less than an hour BINGO!!! All lines are clear and running freely! From now on I'm on weekly maintenance with the washing soda (didn't dare today with the Draino still in the pipes). Thanks for the tip!! I feel much better - this is cheap, green (better for my poor septic field!) and I had all the ingredients on hand ;-)
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IF YOU JUST LET A LITTLE STREAM OF WATER ON, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ANY PROBLEM...>'.'
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If using dish soap, make sure it doesn't have the undesirable additives ( phosphates, etc.) that end up in the water. To the writer who insists on 5 gallons of water down the tub each time to clear clogs, or filling and refilling the sink-- isn't that wasting a LOT of water? Try the baking soda/vinegar...you won't waste so much water, which is another whole issue...the aquifers are being depleted, too!
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pour dish soap down the drain, wait 1/2 hour, close drain, let fill with water ( if sink) , when full let water rush out...fill again with water , to top again, let rush out when full. If tub , pour dish soap, half bottle down drain, wait 1/2 to 1 hour , fill 5 gallon bucket hot water, pour down drain, may need to fill bucket at least 3 times & pour down drain, its works, i read it on line!!
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The zip it strips are cheap, long, thin flexible plastic pieces with a small-teethed edge that work suprisingly well for hair and all that comes with it. When the girls moved out, they called a few months later asking where they could get one. It really takes care of hair!
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For hair, how about low tech plain old wire. A piece of wire with the end twisted into a hook does well even for my curls that mat so well.
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Amanda,
Is there no screw or anything to get the drain plug out? That's unusual...if you can't get it unclogged, call your landlord! I use the baking soda trick, but i usually pour it down the drain, never tried it without removing it. Let us know if that works! I pour in the baking soda and then the vinigar, followed by the boiling water. works for us every time!
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How about simply not using so much toothpaste? Most people for some strange reason put a huge amount of toothpaste on their brush, and most of it just falls off into the sink.
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