Unclog Drains Without Plunging
There are so many drains in our homes and from time to time they get clogged. We've all been there. I wanted to share some ways to unclog drains with natural products and without using a plunger.
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*Everyone's got different kinds of pipes, home temperatures, etc. Please know what you are working with so you know what your limits are with your toilets, sinks, pipes, etc.
Toilets -
For clogged toilets (I used a lot of toilet paper to create a clogged toilet), pour in 1 cup dish detergent and let that sit for a couple minutes.
Next add warm/hot water (not boiling), I added about 4 cups. Let this sit for a couple minutes to start breaking everything up.
Flush the toilet - It might start slow as it's breaking everything free, but then it should flush away. You can repeat the process if there is still some left behind.
Sinks -
If you are clearing out a sink in your home like this one... Try snaking it out with a drain snake first. You can pick these up at places like Dollar Tree and Walmart. Just stick it down the drain and pull it up. You will be amazed at the hair, toothpaste, and other yucky stuff that will come up. When you have it cleaned out as much as possible proceed to the next steps below.
If your sink is slow to drain or clogged up most of the time it's build up. Sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and let it sit for a minute.
Next pour down 1 cup of vinegar.
You'll get a fun reaction - remember building volcanoes in school? Once the reaction is done let it sit for a couple minutes.
Follow that up with boiling water (or you could run your faucet on the hottest setting for a bit). This will help loosen more up and flush the system out.
If it's your kitchen sink, slice a lemon and put it in the garbage disposal. Turn your disposal on to clean everything out. The lemon will deodorize your garbage disposal and clean out any gunk down there.
One of the last things I always do is put the stopper in, fill the sink up, and then let it drain just to make sure it's good and clear. If it's your kitchen sink I recommend turning on the garbage disposal again while draining as the added force will put that water and all the other stuff further down the drain.
To prevent clogs - in your bathtub, sinks, kitchen sinks, etc use a strainer. These can be picked up at Dollar Tree, Walmart, online. In a bathtub or bathroom sink, use it to cover the drain like this.
It'll stop thinks like hair from going down and clogging up your drains.
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It works, you just have to be paitient. I would never let anyone pour carpet cleaner water down my sink, it is always full of gunk! If it was clogged for 30 feet in your pipes, it has been a problem for a long time. Remember plumbers don't want you to clean your drains, that is how they make their money. You need to clean your drains weekly to prevent the build up from forming.
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Twice now, I have had the pesky fruit flies. Last winter they went away on their own. I didnt have fruit or vegies on the counter but they came back anyway. I have tried all the things people have told me to do but to no avail. Ive used the vinegar with dish soap in a bottle and spray I got at Ace and lately I have been spraying plain vinegar on them. Im at my wits end. Any suggestions?
I've tried the baking soda and vinegar method to unclog my bathroom sink on once and for a slow drain once. It didn’t work. I followed the directions. Let the baking soda sit for a bit then poured the vinegar and let it sit for a bit then poured hot water in. I’m not trying to through shade, I’m just wondering why it works for so many people but not on my sink. I just end up using a drain cleaner. Which I don’t mind using but since baking soda and vinegar are so inexpensive I thought I’d try it. Do you have any ideas why it didn’t work for me?
Is this safe for septic systems?