By Guest Contributor Cleaning Tips • Do It Yourself 5 Comments

5 Ways To Unclog That Drain Without Buying Anything

Do you have water in your kitchen? What about some vinegar (you know, the same bottle that probably came with the cupboards? Does anyone actually buy vinegar?) Any red plastic cups (used or not)? If you said yes to any of these questions, congratulations, you have everything you need to turn that clogathon into a barren pathway for sink activities!

Boiled Water: The best thing since…water

These images will be difficult to process: food, debris, hair and oil clog your drains. The good news is, because the words ‘cement’ and ‘solid brick’ weren’t on this list, you can use boiling water to break this down like a domestic sledgehammer.
Boil water and pour it down the drain. Also, if you think your toilet is also suffering from cloggage, open the seat and check for small bubbles congregating in the water. Yes? Good. Use boiling water because this means there’s a clog deeper in the drain.

Large Plastic Cup: Turn that double-cup into a single-cup for unclogging purposes

Let’s say your kitchen sink is super clogged like your nose as the flowers blossom and pollen imperializes the air. The only tool (you think you have) is a plunger. Are you considering a tool that has had intimate relations with the inner crevices of your toilet to fix your sink?
Save yourself a trip to the emergency room and find a plastic cup.
Most people have large 32 to 40-ounce cups from fast-food restaurants and gas stations. The bottom of these fit nicely in the drain. Push the bottom of these cups into the drain to clear the clog. Some clogs cannot be cleared without professional help. You may need the use of a snake or hydro-jetting to clear your clog.

Metal Wire: We’re sure these are laying around somewhere near the duct tape

“Back in the day,” people used to use old wire hangers to clear clogs, but those have become largely obsolete. Most people have rolls of wire, however, which are useful.
Steer clear of coated wire used in gardening, but other types of thin wire are useful for clearing clogs. Create a thin hook on the end to grab string or hair by pinching the end of the wire. Do not use wire in a drain (such as the bathroom sink) if it can get stuck in different components (like a stopper or toilet plunger) because you could make the clog worse (and ruin your weekend).

Bleach: You have this

Bleach is similar to drain cleaners because it contains sodium hydroxide. You can use bleach to help clear a clog. Allow the bleach to work it’s way through until the clog clears. Use hot water from the tap to wash the bleach down.
If you’re going to use any of the remedies above, be sure that you don’t already have other substances in your drain, standing water or pipes. A mixture of different substances may not be safe. For instance, don’t mix vinegar and bleach. This makes toxic chlorine gas. For heavy-duty clogs, call a professional immediately.

What now?

Save the Amazon orders for phone chargers and 30 packs of bottled water because tap water alone can solve 90% of your drainage issues. Now, after you finish impressing your roommate(s) and/or partner with your James Bond-esque resourcefulness, make sure to chop less organic vegetables near the sinkhole. You can also add a screen filter to catch those pesky quinoa grains and chia seeds that always seem to stray away from the pack. As for your toilet, maybe eating less fiber could do the trick. If all else fails, call a Maid Sailors. We unclog drains the same way Steph Curry drains three-point shots.

5 Comments

  • Angelina Struth

    Nice Article…Very interesting to read this article. I have learned some new information. Thanks for sharing.

  • Jesse Skurrie

    Nice Article…Very interesting to read this article. I have learned some new information. Thanks for sharing.

  • Jay Roberts

    Great article! I tried this kind of method and it is very effective. I unclogged my drain easily, I’ll recommend this article to my friends to get a solution for their drains. Keep sharing!

  • Rick Schiffer

    Great article on what we all face at some time in our home. Nothing worse than a blocked drain and you have noted a few very good ways of inexpensively dealing with the problem, thanks. Believe it or not, after using the hot water, try pouring a bottle of Coca Cola down there as well, coke does some pretty awesome work on grease. I love the idea of using a large plastic cup. Another thing which now costs a little money is to use an eel from your local hardware shop that attaches to the end of your drill, these can work wonders on cleaning a clogged drain that’s a bit further down. Thanks again for your tips and article.

  • Gervais Mechanical

    Thanks for the tips! We also like the combination of baking soda and vinegar.
    So, twice a month, sprinkle the baking soda and pour one cup of vinegar into the kitchen sink drain. Allow it to sit for an hour or so. Then, pour a kettle full of hot water down the drain. The acetic acid in vinegar acts as a cleaning agent.

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