You already know store-bought drain cleaning formulas contain harsh chemicals that can destroy a drain pipe. Did you know you can make a DIY drain cleaner instead of reaching for those toxic chemicals in your cabinet? Grasshopper Heating & Cooling offers four homemade drain cleaner recipes below.
Why Use Homemade Drain Cleaners?
While the average commercial drain cleaner dissolves blockages, it also corrodes your plumbing system. Plus, it harms the environment. When it inevitably enters nearby water bodies, it kills bacteria and aquatic flora and fauna.
Before reaching for these products to alleviate slow drains, try a DIY drain cleaner. You’ll protect your plumbing system and the local ecosystem.
Our Effective Homemade Drain Cleaner Recipes
The tough clog in your bathroom or kitchen sink drain might respond just as well to a DIY drain cleaner as a chemical formula. The recipes below use common household ingredients you likely have in your cupboard or pantry.
#1 Boiling Water and Dish Soap
Sometimes, you just need boiling water to dislodge a blockage. If you need extra help, pour boiling water down the drain. Then, squeeze liquid dish soap into it as well.
Wait at least an hour so the soap can dissolve the grease clog. Follow up with another pot of boiling water. Then, you can run hot tap water into the drain until the suds dissipate.
#2 Baking Soda and Vinegar
A combination of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda and white vinegar is incredibly effective at unclogging drains. Run hot water into the affected drain to loosen any trapped debris. Then, pour baking soda directly into the clogged drain.
Next, pour an equal amount of vinegar on top of the baking soda. The baking soda and vinegar will eat away at the blockage. If you can’t find any white vinegar, use lemon juice instead as it reacts similarly.
#3 Baking Soda, Salt, Cream of Tartar
A lesser-known homemade drain cleaner involves:
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of table salt
- One tablespoon of cream of tartar
Mix these ingredients into a bowl. Then, sprinkle the mixture into any clogged drains. After a 30-minute wait, slowly pour a pot of boiling water down each drain. Repeat this DIY drain solution as needed.
#4 Salt, Borax, and Vinegar
As one of the more effective recipes for homemade drain cleaners, this recipe requires borax. Borax is generally considered non-toxic if not ingested. Keep it away from children and animals to prevent any complications.
The recipe calls for:
- A half cup of borax
- A half cup of salt
- A cup of white vinegar
Thoroughly mix the ingredients in a bowl until they form a thick paste. Then pour the concoction into the slow drain, letting it sit for half an hour. Use a rag or drain stopper to cover the clogged sink drain.
Finally, pour boiling water down the drain to loosen remaining debris. If necessary, repeat this homemade drain recipe or add more hot water to your currently clogged drain.
Other Ways to Protect Your Plumbing System
You can prevent clogs, foul odors, and other undesirable plumbing issues with the following accessible tools:
- Hot water: Pouring boiling water down each drain monthly encourages trapped debris to move along. Hot water liquefies grease and loosens stubborn particles.
- Drain snake: The drain snake is the champion of DIY drain cleaners. Just push it down a blocked drain and pull it out to see what it catches.
- Drain trap: Covering your drain with a trap prevents food particles and other materials from entering your drainage system.
- Wire coat hanger: If you drop a piece of jewelry or another small object down the drain, you can straighten a wire hanger to retrieve it.
- Baking soda: Not only is baking soda a must-have for homemade drain cleaners, but it can eradicate odors. Pour a cup of baking soda down a stinky drain.
Grasshopper Heating & Cooling Can Combat Difficult Clogged Drains
If these homemade drain cleaners don’t work, our services will! Schedule a local Clifton Park plumber visit from Grasshopper Heating & Cooling at 518-545-3271.
