Here’s a scenario most of us are familiar with: you wash your hands only to notice the water is slow to drain from the sink. Or worse, you flush the toilet only to find the water rising – headed in the wrong direction. Sure, you can grab your trusty plunger – hopefully, you have the heavy-duty type for toilets and another reserved for sink or shower drains. But there are a few other ways to keep water flowing even if you don’t have the right plunger or yours fails to do the job.
In Hot Water
Fill a pan or tea kettle with hot (not boiling) water and pour it down the drain or toilet to loosen the clog. After sitting for a few minutes, the water should start to drain, as sign of success. Repeat a time or two until water drains freely or the toilet flushes without issue.
Not Just for Dishes
Double the clog-fighting power of hot water with about a quarter cup of dish soap. Pour it into the toilet bowl or down the drain, let sit for about 10 minutes, then flush with hot water. The soap should act like a lubricant and get things moving again.
Science Experiment
Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup distilled white vinegar into the drain or toilet bowl and wait for it to bubble up and fizz. If your toilet bowl is filled to the brim, first empty some of the water. Wait 30 minutes then follow with hot water. You may need to repeat the process a second time to thoroughly loosen the clog.
Hanger Helper
Grab a wire hanger and unwind it so it’s straight except for a hook on one end. Gently angle the hanger down the drain until you find the clog, then pull out any hair or other gunk. Repeat until water starts to drain normally.
DIY Drain Cleaner
Instead of reaching for store bought drain cleaners that can damage plumbing, make your own by mixing 2 cups baking soda, ¼ cup Epsom salt and about 8 tablespoons of dish detergent, added one tablespoon at a time. Pour the mixture into individual muffin liners and let harden. Once hard, drop one into the toilet bowl followed by four cups of water.
Drain clogs are no day at the beach, but they can be a lot less messy and time consuming than you think. Still, DIY measures won’t always work. When they don’t, it’s time to call Norhio Plumbing to the rescue. We are full service plumbers and drain cleaners, so no matter how stubborn the clog, we’ll make it disappear, and with your satisfaction guaranteed.
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