It’s not uncommon for drains to become blocked over time, even if you do your best not to let it happen.
When it does happen, however, many of us automatically reach for chemical based products to help unblock the drain, but these are not great for the environment, or your health. So, what else can you use to effectively unblock a drain without using anything toxic?
Here are 6 simple ways to unblock a drain safely and effectively, without a chemical in sight:
- Dish soap and hot water
With just 2 tablespoons of dish soap and a pot of hot water, you can unblock your drain with minimal effort. Simply boil up a pot of water, add the dish soap and pour it down the drain.
- Baking soda and vinegar
Take a half cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain, then take a half cup of white vinegar and pour that down after it. Cover the drain and allow the two ingredients to work their magic for around an hour, before flushing it away with a pot of boiling water.
- Baking soda and lemon juice
This method is the same as the above mentioned, but uses lemon juice in place of the vinegar, and smells more fragrant!
- Baking soda and salt
Firstly, pour half a cup of regular table salt down the drain, and then half a cup of baking soda. After around 30 minutes or so (or overnight if it’s a big blockage), pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.
- Baking soda, salt and cream of tartar
Place half a cup of baking soda, half a cup of table salt, and 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar into a sealable container and shake it until all of the ingredients are combined. Enough for two uses, pour half of the mixture down the drain and follow it with a pot of boiling water. Let the solution work for up to an hour, and flush the drain. If you need to repeat the process, you can do so using the remaining half of the solution.
- Salt, borax and vinegar
This solution doesn’t just help unblock drains, but deodorizes them, too. Begin by pouring a quarter cup of regular table salt down the drain, followed by a quarter cup of Borax, and half a cup of white vinegar. Take some boiling water and pour that immediately down the drain after the vinegar, and allow it to work for around an hour. Rinse the drain and repeat if necessary.
Drains do occasionally get blocked and while there may not be much we can do to stop that from happening, we can at least use a method of unblocking them that isn’t harmful to us, or the planet.
Don’t forget that professional cleaning services will have a whole bunch of tried and tested, environmentally friendly cleaning tips, and by hiring them, you could have a clean, green home, all of the time!
