Homemade Drain Cleaners That Work

We all experience clogged drains now and then. If it's a small clog - drain cleaners can sometimes help. But if the clog is large enough - you may have to call in a professional plumber to clear out the pipe or to find the source of the clog.

Note: If you have a garbage disposal - like Drano is not recommended. The reason is that the chemicals can be abrasive to the plastic parts and the metal blades in the unit.

Chemical drain cleaners like Drano or Liquid Plumbr tend to be harsh and abrasive on your drain pipes so if you do use a commercial product we suggest you look for a bio-enzyme drain cleaner or try one of the homemade recipes below.

You may have to repeat the procedure twice and you can certainly combine them. For example: try to unclog the drain with the baking soda and vinegar recipe and if that doesn't work then you can try Bob Vila's Cream Of Tartar Mix.

Of course, if these don't work then we strongly recommend that you call in a professional plumber to assess and fix the problem.

A Sink Plunger

A simple sink plunger may do the trick for small drain clogs. If it works, you won't have to pour anything down the drain or wait to use the sink.

Baking Soda And Vinegar

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of baking soda
1/2 cup of white vinegar

In an empty sink, put the baking soda down the drain followed by the vinegar. Plug the drain and wait at least an hour. Unplug the drain and pour a large pot of boiling water down the drain.

Baking Soda And Salt

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of baking soda
1/2 cup of salt

Mix the baking soda and salt in a bowl. In an empty sink, pour the combination down the drain. Plug the drain and wait at least an hour (or overnight). Unplug the drain and pour a large pot of boiling water down the drain.

Bob Vila's Cream Of Tartar Mix

Ingredients:
2 cups of baking soda
2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
1/2 cup of salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Boil two cups of water and then pour it down the drain followed immediately by the mixture of dry ingredients. Plug the drain and wait for at least an hour.

Detergent And Hot Water

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of dish detergent
Pot of boiling water

Put the two tablespoons of your favorite dish detergent into a pot of boiling water. Pour the mixture down the drain.

If you have any problems or questions about drain cleaning, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.