A sink that takes longer to drain, water pooling around your feet in the shower and the nasty odours; all signs that your drain is blocked. Unfortunately, blocked drains need to be dealt with quickly, or you could face a potentially more disastrous and expensive issue such as a burst pipe or bathroom that doesn’t function.
We’ve put together our top tips for getting to those drain blockages that simply won’t budge.
Use a Coat Hanger
Surprisingly effective, the coat hanger trick can really work to move blockages swiftly through a drain. Take a regular wire coat hanger and straighten it out. Bend one end over to create a hook and push it past the drain cover to begin dislodging the blockage. You’ll soon be surprised at the amount of dirt and debris the coat hanger will reveal. Remember that the trick is to pull everything out, not push it further in.
Baking Soda & Vinegar
An age old trick for drain unblocking, a concoction of baking soda and vinegar can work wonders for your drains. Mix 1/3 of a cup of baking soda with 1/3 of vinegar. As it begins to fizz, pour it down the blocked drain as soon as possible. The fizzing action helps to remove any debris that has clogged within a pipe. Let it sit for as long as possible, we’d advise leaving it for at least an hour, and flush with hot water to finish.
Boiling Water
Rather than using an array of chemicals and expensive treatments for your drains, boiling water can do the job of clearing a blockage just fine. Start by boiling as much water as you can and begin to pour it down the drain slowly in stages. Allow the water to sit for several seconds in between each pour to allow it to work. One of the easiest ways to unclog a drain, you need to try this trick if everything else hasn’t worked.
Salt & Baking Soda
Like using baking soda and vinegar, this mixture creates a chemical reaction that dissolves some of the nastiest blockages found within drains. Mix ½ cup of table salt with ½ cup of baking soda and pour it down the blocked drain. Leave it to sit for around 10-20 minutes. This will give enough time for the chemical reaction to occur. Flush some hot water down prior and your drain should be blockage free.
If you feel like you’ve tried every option and still can’t manage to budge that blockage, Drain Checker UK are here to help. We can conduct a CCTV drain survey to ensure the issue isn’t bigger than it seems, and proceed to take the necessary action for you. For more information, feel free to give the team a call on 0800 849 8099 or get in touch here.
