Different Home Drain Cleaning and Clog Removing Methods

It is common for clogs to happen in your drains. And in most cases, a clog is nothing to worry about. You can clear the clog using common drain cleaning and clog-removing methods and move on with your life. However, occasionally, there is a stubborn clog that you cannot remove on your own, you have a recurrent clog, or a clog that seems to keep coming back. If you experience one of these clogs, you need professional drain clearing Portland-based to remove the clog. Here are a few of the different home drain cleaning methods you can try on your own before you have to call in a professional if the clog does not budge. 

Hot Water

One of the best and easiest ways to remove some clogs is to boil a pot of water on your stove, and then pour that pot of hot water down the drain. Many clogs are caused by things such as soap residue and grease that can stick to the sides of a pipe and narrow the opening of a pipe. Hot water helps to dissolve grease and soap residue, helping to open your pipes back up. If you use this method and it starts to open up your drain, you should repeat it later that day and the next morning to ensure it has removed all the grease and soap residue. 

Vinegar and Baking Soda

Another common drain cleaning method is to pour equal parts of vinegar and baking soda down a drain. For best results, pour 1/2 cup to one cup of baking soda down a drain and allow it to settle for about five to 10 minutes before pouring the vinegar down the drain. Once the vinegar hits the baking soda, it will fizz up. This is common and nothing to worry about. The fizzing reaction helps to break up the clog, making it an effective home drain cleaning and clog-removing technique. 

Salt, Borax, and Vinegar  

If you have a clog in your drain, one of the lesser-known home removal methods is to use salt, borax, and vinegar to break up the clog. For this method, pour 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup of borax down your drain. Once again, allow the powder to settle before pouring one cup of vinegar on the solution. Salt and borax are abrasive, and when mixed with vinegar, the abrasive edges help to break or slowly erode away a clog. After a clog has been broken up with this method, you should run a pot of hot water down the drain to ensure the abrasive salt and borax are removed from the drain. 

Plunger or Snake

The final common way to remove a clog from a drain is to use a home plunger or snake. A plunger uses air to help push a clog downward, hopefully out of the outgoing sewer line, while a snake can break a clog apart. You can purchase either of these devices from a big box retailer or a home improvement store. 

The best way to prevent clogs is to be mindful of the items you send down your drains. However, if a clog does form, you can try home clog removal methods, including hot water, vinegar and baking soda, salt, borax, and vinegar, or a plunger or snake to remove the clog. If the clog does not budge or is recurrent, meaning it comes back two or more times in a month, then it is time to call in a professional for drain clearing Portland-based Drain cleaning can remove tough and problematic clogs, allowing your drains to function properly again.