Clearing Clogged Drains Without Harsh Chemicals

Is your sink draining slower than usual? Do you find standing water in your tub long after a shower? Clogged drains are a common nuisance in most homes. While it may be tempting to reach for harsh chemical drain cleaners to blast away the clog, these products can do more harm than good. There are many safe and effective methods for clearing clogged drains using natural ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. With some simple maintenance and troubleshooting, you can keep your drains free-flowing without resorting to dangerous chemicals.

Clogged Drains: An Annoying and Hazardous Problem

A clogged drain is not just an inconvenience—it can also lead to more serious plumbing issues if left untreated. When hair, grease, and other debris build up inside drain pipes, it can impede the flow of water and sewage. The backed up water can leak into walls or floors, causing water damage and mold growth. Clogged drains also allow gross sewer gases to enter your home, creating unpleasant odors.

While chemical drain cleaners may seem like the easy solution, they often do more harm than good. The caustic ingredients in these products—such as sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, and ammonia—corrode pipes and release toxic fumes. Drain cleaners have even been known to cause explosions inside pipes!

Fortunately, there are many safe and effective natural methods for clearing clogged drains that utilize common household ingredients. When used properly, these techniques can dissolve blockages, deodorize pipes, and get things flowing freely again.

What Causes Clogged Drains?

Before learning how to clear a clogged drain, it helps to understand what causes drain blockages in the first place. Here are some of the most common culprits:

Hair

Showers and bathroom sinks are prone to clogs from long hair. As hair washes down the drain, it can catch on any protrusions or rough edges in the pipe. Over time, hair collects and forms a tightly wound plug. Hair can also combine with soap scum and hard water deposits to create a tenacious clog.

Food Scraps

Leftover scraps of food rinsed off dishes can accumulate in kitchen sink drains. Fats, oils, and grease solidify and cling to pipes. Food particles can also get trapped with sludge and soap scum. Fruits and vegetables often contain small seeds and peels that can collect in drains.

Soap Scum

The fats and chemicals in soap, shampoo, and other sudsy products react with minerals in water to form a thick, sticky film along the insides of drains. This scummy layer catches hair and debris flowing through the pipe.

Tree Roots

Invasive tree roots infiltrating underground sewer pipes are a common cause of clogged drains. Roots are attracted to the moist environment and nutrients present in pipes. The roots grow thicker over time and obstruct the flow of water. This issue usually requires professional repair.

Toys, Household Items and Cosmetics

All kinds of things like bath toys, jewelry, washcloths, cotton swabs, feminine products, razors, and more can find their way into pipes where they get lodged and create a drain blockage.

Why You Should Avoid Harsh Chemical Drain Cleaners

For quickly blasting away clogs, commercial drain cleaners containing potent chemicals like sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, bleach, and ammonia seem like the optimal solution. However, these corrosive ingredients can do serious damage to your plumbing:

• Pipe corrosion – The caustic chemicals wear away at the inner metal and plastic piping, eventually causing leaks, cracks, and rupture.
• Toxic fumes – When mixed, the chemicals release hazardous gases that are dangerous to inhale and can harm the lungs and eyes.
• Environmental impact – Chemical drain cleaners should never be poured down outdoor drains, as they contaminate groundwater and soil.
• Damage to septic systems – Septic systems rely on bacteria to break down waste. Chemical cleaners kill this bacteria, ruining the balance of your septic environment.
• Explosive reactions – Mixing certain common chemical drain cleaners causes explosive reactions inside pipes and can lead to injury or property damage.

For the safety of yourself, your home, and the environment, natural drain cleaning solutions are the wise choice.

Natural Ingredients Proven to Clear Clogs

Many common kitchen ingredients have properties that allow them to break down, dissolve, and dislodge gunk in clogged drains. Here are some of the all-stars:

Baking Soda – This mild alkali fizzes away grease and reacts with acidic byproducts to loosen clogs. It also deodorizes smelly drains.

Salt – The coarse granules provide an abrasive scrubbing action to scour away debris. Salt also attracts water to dissolve clogs.

Vinegar – The acetic acid in vinegar reacts with baking soda for amplified fizzing power. It cuts through grease, soap scum, and other grime.

Boiling Water – Hot water melts and dislodges globs of fat and grease. The agitation of boiling water can help dislodge or push through a clog.

Enzymatic Cleaners – Enzyme-based drain cleaners use bacteria to dissolve organic matter over time without harsh chemicals.

Detergent/Soap – Grease-cutting surfactants in dish soap and detergent help emulsify and wash away oily sludge coating your drains.

Safe, Natural Methods for Unclogging Dirty Drains

Using items already under your kitchen sink, you can make your own homemade drain cleaner solutions that are gentler on pipes but tough on clogs. Here are some recipes and techniques for clearing drains the natural way:

Baking Soda and Vinegar

This classic chemical reaction is one of the most effective methods for dissolving all sorts of nastiness in your drains. The process is simple:

1. Pour 1 cup baking soda down the clogged drain.
2. Follow with 2 cups hot vinegar and cover the drain tightly for 5-10 minutes as the reaction takes place.
3. Flush with very hot water to rinse away debris.

The fizzing reaction generates pressure that helps dislodge the clog. Vinegar cuts through grease and grime while the baking soda scrubs away residues. Repeat as needed for stubborn clogs.

Boiling Water and Baking Soda/Salt

For a quick and easy treatment, you can pour an abrasive agent down the drain followed by boiling water:

1. Dump 1/2 cup baking soda or 1/4 cup salt down the drain.
2. Pour 2-3 kettles full of boiling water after it.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes before flushing with cold water.

The boiling water melts and separates greasy obstructions while the baking soda or salt serves as an abrasive scrubber. This method works best for clearing fatty clogs.

Dish Soap and Hot Water

When grease is the main culprit behind your clogged drain, fight back with grease-cutting dish soap:

1. Squirt 2-3 tablespoons of dish soap down the drain.
2. Follow with a tea kettle full of hot water.
3. Let it sit 5-10 minutes before running the tap.

The soap emulsifies stubborn globs of grease while the hot water melts and lifts it away. Finish by running lots of cold water to flush any remaining debris away.

Plunger Power

For drains clogged with hair and loose debris, a trusty sink plunger can do the trick.

1. Fill the sink halfway with water and tightly seal the drain opening with the plunger.
2. Work the plunger up and down with vigorous, quick pumps to dislodge and break up the clog.
3. Repeat several times, refilling the sink as needed until water drains freely.

The pressure created by the plunger can help force the clog through the pipes. Finish by running water on full blast.

Commercial Enzyme Cleaners

For preventative maintenance, use an enzyme-based foaming drain cleaner once a month. The enzymes digest organic matter and keep drains clear. Simply pour or squirt enzyme cleaner down drains before bed and let it work overnight. With regular use, the enzymes will devour accumulated gunk and help prevent future clogs.

Keep Drains Clog-Free With Good Habits

Clogged drains don’t have to be inevitable. By making some simple adjustments to your household habits, you can avoid many clogs in the first place:

• Minimize grease – Never pour fats, oils or greasy sauces down the kitchen drain. Wipe greasy pans thoroughly before washing.
• Catch food scraps – Use sink strainers to catch food bits washed off dishes. Empty strainers regularly into the trash.
• Limit hair down drains – Catch shed hair by using hair traps and drain screens. Remove large clumps of hair from shower and sink drains regularly.
• Only flush waste – Trash items like cotton swabs and hygiene products often get flushed by accident. Use the trash can instead of the toilet.
• Watch what goes down drains – Avoid pouring harsh chemicals like bleach or paint down sinks and tubs. Dispose of properly.
• Clean with care – Use soft scrubbers only when washing sinks to avoid scratching surfaces. This prevents gritty buildup that can lead to clogs.
• Clean soap scum regularly – Use a homemade baking soda scrub to regularly remove soap scum from sink basins, tubs, and showers.
• Check pipes for roots – Inspect underground sewer and septic lines annually for root intrusion. Address promptly to avoid major clogs.

Troubleshooting Tricks for Stubborn Clogged Drains

Even using natural methods, some clogged drains can be tricky to clear. If a DIY approach fails, try these advanced tactics before calling a plumber:

Repeat treatments – It often takes multiple applications of natural drain remedies to fully clear a challenging clog. Re-treat 2-3 times if water still drains slowly.

Alternate methods – Switching up the remedy may help if one isn’t working well. Follow up boiling water with an enzyme treatment, for example.

Remove drain stoppers – Clogs form because hair and debris get trapped below the drain stopper. Remove stoppers in sinks and tubs to access clogs.

Use a pipe snake – For drains that won’t budge, insert a metal pipe snake down the pipe to hook and maneuver clogs out.

Check vents – Clogged roof vent stacks prevent air from entering drains, causing slow drainage. Have vent stacks professionally cleaned if needed.

Use a wet/dry shop vacuum – For severe sink clogs, you can attempt vacuuming out debris from the overflow opening beneath the drain basket.

Consult a plumber – For sophisticated diagnostic tools and professional drain cleaning services, call a plumber to address elusive clogs.

Caring For Your Drains the Natural Way

Next time your drain starts slowing down, resist the urge to dump harsh chemicals down the pipes. With some simple, natural ingredients and practices, you can clear clogs yourself and get things flowing freely again. Treat your drains with care on a regular basis, and you can avoid obnoxious clogging while benefiting your home’s plumbing and the environment. Does your home suffer from chronically clogged drains? Try implementing some of these natural remedies and maintenance tips to prevent problems. The eco-friendly path is the healthiest path for both your pipes and the planet.