Cheapest/Easiest Way to Unclog a Drain

[musicmantrs]

Over the last week I've noticed more and more water at my feet in my stand up shower. Yesterday I went to Home Depot and got the cheapest Drano they had and tried that. Today it was even worse. So I went to the internet and found a simple solution that I never would have thought of. While I was doing it I said there is no way this will work. I took my plunger (after rinsing it off) and put it over the drain. I gave it a few plunges and then (still thinking I had just done the most ridiculous thing ever) when I turned the water on it ran perfectly. I cleaned it thoroughly and the water is flowing as well as it ever has. Just a tip, I'm grateful for all the tips I've gotten from here and thought I'd share this cheap one. I especially love the Target gift cards since my GF works at Target and we get an extra discount.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

We've done the plunger on the shower drain before. We also have a tool called zip-it. It looks like a really log stick and has lots of little barbs coming out the side. You push it into the drain and and pull it back out. Anything in the drain gets hooked onto the barbs. It definitely gets the hair out of the drain instead of pushing it into the pipes further.

 

[penjen]

I agree zip-it. If the clog is too deep use white vinegar and let it sit (5 min or more)then plunge with warm/hot water. You may need this process several times but it has worked for us. cleaned the drain right out. didn't have problems for the next few years, then we moved.

 

[KY*Figment]

I plunge, clean, 1/2 gallon of bleach (let it sit for an hour), and then pour boiling water from a tea kettle down the drain.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We bought this plunger and it works like a charm and doesn't require a lot of effort. Most home improvement stores and Walmart carry this.

http://www.sears.com/drain-buster-powerful-multi-drain-plunger-2-plunger/p-00918558000P

Once you get the line open I would suggest pouring baking soda in the drain followed by some vinager. This will help keep the gunk from building up. I also pour boiling water down my drains to rinse the gunk away.

 

[tina.tina]

We should all do weekly maintenance on our drains to prevent clogs.

Washing soda works even better than baking soda and it's great for cleaning, especially combined with Borax. It made my toilet look brand new when we moved in our current home.

For terribly clogged drains you can buy some pretty powerful drain cleaner at hardware stores. The kind we bought is called hot power and worked almost instantly.

 

[MineMail]

If you're trying to plunge a shower/bathtub drain, plug the overflow with a rag (or duct tape) so that you're not just pushing the air out of the overflow. Blocking that off increases the force of the plunge so it can really get to the clog.


If the toilet backs up, plunge it before adding chemicals. Most of the time, two or three good attempts will clear the blockage. Just be sure to PULL the plunger to clear a clogged toilet, don't try to push the clog along the pipe. It never works and usually makes it worse. Pulling it brings it back a bit and loosens the debris so it doesn't get stuck again.


If you do add chemicals, be really careful about plunging the fixture afterwards. If the lye or chemicals splashes up (which always happens to me with sinks), it can injure your eyes and skin. It's really better to try plunging first, once or two tries, before resorting to chemicals or plumbers.

 

[nicojames]

I work at a plumbing supply, we sell a product called "Glug" it works wonders to unclog drains

 

[albertamommyof4]

the plunger also works great for bathroom sinks.