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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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59 comments
add your comment »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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No chemicals are needed to unclog drains. You can easily get the hair and gunk out with a simple plastic device called Zip-It. They are about $2-$3 at major hardware stores, Sears, Amazon, etc. Easy and fabulously effective.
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Very interesting; I'll have to try the baking soda and boiling water water in my kitchen drain. Thank you for the information.
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Would the baking soda work in a drain where you can't remove the plug? Our bathtub has a plug that can't be removed at all and has about a centimeter gap between the plug and the drain when it's open all the way. It really sucks but we're renting, so we don't get a choice...
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For sink drain I use a crochet hook, for clogged toilet I put about a cup or more of liquid dish detergent (got that from drain cleaner guy) It works great for any clog.
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Interesting, Baking soda I have and Washing soda I have. Just have to learn more uses for these 2 vital things to keep in the house. Thanks!
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