Drains becoming blocked is an extremely common but often smelly and inconvenient problem for many households, and while we often turn to chemicals to fix the problem, this isn’t great for us, or the environment.
With this in mind, here are some environmentally friendlier drain unblocking solutions:
Simple soap and hot water
With just 2 tablespoons of dish soap and some hot water, you can try fixing smaller, less complex blockages that may have been caused by a build-up of liquid grease.
Simply add the dish soap to a pan of recently boiled water, and pour it down the drain in question.
Vinegar and baking soda – a classic combo!
With just a half cup of baking soda, a half cup of white vinegar and a pot of boiling water, you can try and remedy tougher blockages, naturally. Tip the baking soda down the drain, then pour in the vinegar and as it begins to fizz, cover it up and let it work its magic for around an hour. Then, pour boiling water down the drain and if it hasn’t worked the first time, you may need to repeat it.
Baking soda and lemon juice – another tried and tested classic!
Similar to the method above, this one has a more pleasing aroma, however! Pour half a cup of baking soda down the blocked drain, followed by half a cup of lemon juice, and leave the solution to work for around an hour. Once the time is up, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain and repeat as required.
Baking soda and salt
Great for blockages and degreasing, you’ll need a half cup of table salt, half a cup of baking soda and a pot of hot water. Pour the salt down the blocked drain, then the baking soda, leave it for around 30 minutes or overnight if the blockage is a stubborn one. Once the time is up, pour the boiling water down and the drain should be flushed clear.
Baking soda, salt and cream of tartar
Place a half cup of baking soda, half cup of table salt and 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar into a jar with a lid, shake it up and pour or spoon it down the drain. Note that this should be enough for 2 uses, so pour half the mixture down the first attempt. Then, pour boiling water down and leave it to work for up to an hour. Once the hour is up, clear the drain with running water.
Salt, borax and vinegar
Whether you want to unblock, clean or deodorize your drains, this simple solution can do it all! Pour a quarter cup of table salt down the drain, followed by a quarter cup of Borax. Then, pour down half a cup of white vinegar and follow it with a pot of boiling water, and leave it for around an hour. By running hot water down the drain, you can tell whether the solution worked the first time, or whether you need to repeat the procedure.
Blocked drains are no fun for anyone, but by turning to pantry staples that are friendlier to the environment, you can clear most blockages without the need for calling in the experts.
