There are multiple warning signs to look for when your drain is beginning to block. If your sink is taking a little longer than usual to drain, or you’ve started noticing a little puddle of water around your feet in the shower, it looks like you have a clogged drain.
Ensuring a blocked drain is dealt with quickly and efficiently is the best way to overcome any problems, which could lead to a burst pipe or a toilet that doesn’t work.
If you haven’t done so already, the quickest, easiest and cheapest tip of them all is to pop your kettle on and boil as much water as the kettle holds. Once it has reached boiling point, pour it slowly down the blocked drain in two or three steps. This will allow the boiling water to work for a few seconds before you take to the next pour. Usually, this method will work if your drain is not severely clogged, so definitely try this first.
Baking soda and vinegar are usually substances that can be found within anyone’s cupboards, but these can also help you to unclog your blocked drain. Try mixing a third of a cup of baking soda with the same amount of vinegar. You’ll notice it begin to react immediately, so pour this down the drain as soon as possible. The fizzing action that happens can help to remove any blockage, including hair and general grime. Give the drain a quick rinse with some boiling water to finish, which should keep your drain unblocked.
There are multiple products you can buy at your local supermarket that can help you unblock your drain. Some products are created for a one off use as they are more potent than others, but there are products around that are designed to be used more often. These can help you keep any drain blockages at bay in the long run, perfect for drains that have a tendency to clog up often!
There are also, of course, some more simple and well-known tips, such as using an object such as a bent hanger to fish out the blockage. Another tip used by many would be to use a plunger to help get the gunk in your drain moving.
If you find the above tips aren’t working for you and your drain, then you may need to take a step further and clean the pipe. If you’re unaware of how to do this, you can follow some simple steps to help you here. Alternatively, if this is beyond your knowledge, you can leave it to the professionals who will be happy to help you.
At Drain Checker, we’re happy to help you out if you have a blocked drain. Often we find that blockages are simple and easy to clear, so we can ensure the clog is gone and the job is done quickly and easily! If you’d like to find out more about getting your drains unblocked, get in touch with a member of the Drain Checker team by giving us a call on 0800 849 8099 or by visiting our Contact page.