Final Verdict. Our best overall pick for drain cleaners is Drano Max Gel Clog Remover, which also comes recommended by experts. We love that this formula works on every type of drain pipe and can clear just about any clog.
Mr Muscle Max Gel: Best all-around drain unblocker
It combines bleach and caustic soda (sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide) to dissolve most types of blockage in five to 30 minutes and blitz unwanted odours to boot.
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.
Our top pick, Drano Max Gel Clog Remover, is easy to find and use on common clogs, like hair, food, and grease. We also like the Rockwell Labs InVade Bio Drain Gel.
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is a strong acid that is commonly used to dissolve clogs in drains. This acid works by breaking down organic materials such as hair, grease, and soap scum that can accumulate in pipes and cause blockages.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Pour boiling hot water down the drain. This can dissolve mildew, slime, soap scum, and other similar clogs. Put half a cup of baking soda in the drain, then pour half a cup of vinegar down after it. Let this mixture sit for an hour, and then check the drain.
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
This mixture is a great green alternative to Drano because most people have these items somewhere in their kitchen. To use this method, pour half a cup of baking soda into the clogged drain and follow it with a half cup of white vinegar.
The highly effective Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver Formula not only clears clogged drains but it also dissolves hair, toilet paper, flushable personal care wipes, soap scum and other organic matter that may cause clogs. It's safe to use in pipes, toilets, sinks, tubs, showers and septic systems.
Drain cleaning is a professional plumbing service that helps to clear any build-up that has collected into the drains around your home. This can include soap scum, hair, fats, oils, grease, and other built-up junk.
Hot Water and Dish Soap
Pour or squeeze ½ cup of Dawn® dish detergent (or any detergent you have around the house) down the drain. Let the detergent work its way down the drain for 30 minutes. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Once boiled, pour the entire kettle down the clogged drain.
Using a solution of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water
For more stubborn clogs, a combination of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water may do the trick. Because vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base, mixing the two will cause a chemical reaction that will create pressure and possibly dislodge the clog.
Green Gobbler addressed a slow draining sink quickly and easily. Pour it down the drain, wait an hour or two (wait overnight if the clog is bad), run the hottest water for a while, and the drain is good to go.
When combined with the coat hanger method (see below) and hot water*, caustic soda can fix a grease clogged drain, provided the blockage isn't too bad in the first place. *The hot water should be poured down the sink after the caustic soda mixture has been used. Only mix caustic soda with cold water!
If your drain is clogged with hair, baking soda can dissolve hair in a drain. To try this safe and easy method at home - first, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar (white vinegar) down. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes.
Baking soda and vinegar may unclog your drain better than Drano ever could. Start by getting rid of the standing water in your drain. If it will go down slowly, just wait until it's gone. If it isn't moving, use a cup or a spoon to get it out of there.
We recommend trying another bottle of this product. However, if the problem continues to persist, you should call a plumber, as there are some plumbing situations that even Liquid-Plumr cannot fix. Know when to call a plumber for clogged drains.
Product Details. The thickened bleach formula in Drano Max Gel Ultra Clog Remover is our thickest and most powerful Max Gel. Drano Max Gel Ultra cuts right through standing water, clinging to your toughest clogs to blast them fast.
You may be surprised to learn that pouring soda down the drain does work for some clogs. To be specific, you need a dark-colored cola (such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi). This type of carbonated beverage usually contains a good amount of phosphoric acid, which given enough time, can eat away at some types of clogs.
Surprise! Coke or Pepsi are great for vanquishing a clog! Everyone's heard about how a nail will dissolve in a glass of coke over time, and although most of us know this is a stretch, coke is arguably better than many commercial chemical clog removers because of its strong dissolving agents!
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.
A manual drain snake, also known as a plumber's snake or a drain auger, is a small boring tool that rotates slowly as it's physically pushed through a stubborn clog. The terminal end of the device is a corkscrew-shaped hook that is fed into a clogged drain or toilet.
Can you leave baking soda in the drain overnight? It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain.
You can also pour vinegar down the drain on its own.
Pour about 1 cup of vinegar down your drain and let it sit for 30-40 minutes.