If you don't have baking soda or borax at home, don't worry, there are other ways to make a homemade drain cleaner. One method is by mixing equal parts of salt, vinegar, and cream of tartar. Pour the mixture down your drain and let it sit for an hour before flushing it with hot water.
Washing Soda and Boiling Water
Put on some gloves to protect your hands, as washing soda can be rough. Grab 1 cup of washing soda and pour it into the drain. Follow up with 2 cups of boiling water. Let it sit in the drain for around 15 minutes.
Using soap and hot water
If the clog is caused by grease accumulations, pouring dish soap down the drain, followed by a large pot of boiling water, may dissolve the clog. Use about a half-cup to 1 cup of soap and about a gallon of water, being careful not to burn yourself.
Heat 2 or 4 liters of water on your stove or in a kettle to just short of boiling. Add about 1/2 cup of salt. Try pouring this down the drain, then wait 15 minutes before seeing if it will clear more easily. If you need a stronger cleaning, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then add 1/2 cup of vinegar.
For best results, start by squirting a little dish soap into your drain, followed by a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda. Wait five minutes or so, for the chemical reaction of the vinegar and baking soda to take effect, then chase that with a cup or more of boiling water.
The fizzing reaction and gas created may help loosen some small blockages. However, it is not typically strong enough to break down larger clogs or remove hard-to-reach debris. As a result of the above facts, if you have a serious drain clog, using baking soda and vinegar is unlikely to be effective.
Baking soda and vinegar is a tried-and-tested mixture for unclogging drains. Since you probably have these ingredients lying around, this is also one of the most cost-effective drain cleaners you can make at home. Pour one cup of baking soda down the affected drain, immediately followed by one cup of white vinegar.
Yes, hydrogen peroxide is safe to use for unclogging a drain. It will dissolve and loosen natural matter—like skin cells—stuck in the pipes. Hydrogen peroxide also reduces germs and disinfects the drain, helping it smell fresher and clean.
For the toughest of clogs, a plumber may use a hydro jet. This tool sends pressured water through pipes to break down drain build-up. This tool is often faster and more efficient than a typical drain snake. Hydro jets get rid of the clog, but they're also effective for cleaning drains.
In our tests, we've been consistently impressed by the clearing power of Drano's gel formulation, which is safe for all plumbing and septic systems. "It's a caustic cleaner, meaning it contains bleach and other corrosive ingredients that are especially tough on grease and soap scum," explains DiClerico.
Boiling Water to Unblock Shower Drains
It helps to flush out all debris that may be stuck to the sides of the pipes. Regularly pouring boiling water down your drain, once a week, will benefit the smooth running and draining of your shower pipe system.
Boiling Water + Dish Soap
If boiling water doesn't work, try mixing in some dish soap to help break up the grease. Take two liters of boiling water and mix in a 3-5 tablespoons of liquid dish soap. This method might require a few attempts to get a result, but it is particularly efficient against grease clogs.
Another option for dissolving hair in a drain is to use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. This mixture will create a chemical reaction that will break down the hair. Mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar and pour it down the drain to use this method.
The Santeen Sulfuric Acid Drain Opener proved to be the most potent among all the chemical drain cleaners we tested, effectively dissolving 80% of the hair, 80% of the organic matter, 40% of the grease and 76% of the paper products.
For this home remedy, all you need to do is pour a pot of boiling water down the bathtub drain. Then pour a mixture of one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar into the drain. Insert the drain plug, or close the filter, and wait 5–10 minutes. Finally, flush the drain with another pot of boiling water.
First, if you have metal pipes, pour boiling water down the drain. Then remove hair from the drain. If that doesn't work, use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. If the clog persists, use a plunger, plumber's snake or chemical drain opener.
To make a drain snake, all you need is a wire coat hanger that you can unwind and straighten. Bend the end of the wire into a hook shape and insert it into the drain. Move it around until you feel resistance and then pull out any hair or debris that may be blocking the drain.
Mix ½ cup baking soda with ¼ cup table salt. Pour the mixture down the drain along with 1 cup heated vinegar. After it foams and bubbles, let it stand for 15 minutes (waiting longer will not produce better results). Follow by running hot tap water for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
First, fill a cup with baking soda and pour it down your drain. Wait two to three minutes, then follow with a cup of white vinegar. The mixture will start to bubble. Put the plug in and leave the mixture to work for around an hour.
Pouring boiling water is quite risky as it might lead to a steam burn or scalding. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of material you are pouring in into. If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road.
Properties and Uses: Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is a highly corrosive acid used extensively by plumbers to clear severe clogs. It reacts rapidly with organic materials in drains, breaking them down into simpler compounds that can be easily flushed away.
Chemical cleaners can eat away at your pipes, and boiling water can melt important components. Over time, this damage can lead to leaks and expensive plumbing repairs.
While harmless for most metal and PVC pipes, prolonged exposure to the acidic nature of vinegar might corrode certain metals, like copper. PVC pipes, on the other hand, can withstand these substances without damage.