Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Preparing the drain mixture
• Method 3 of 3: Flush the drain
• Tips
• Warnings

If you see water stuck in the tub or the water from the sink draining slowly, you probably have a clogged drain. Fortunately, if you act quickly enough, you can easily unclog it with normal household products. With vinegar, sodium bicarbonate, borax and plenty of hot water you can unclog slow running sinks simply but effectively.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Preparing the drain mixture

1. Drain the water from the tub or sink. If it drains very slowly, it may take a while; however, the unclogging mixture will work better when all the water is out.
2. Collect household cleaners / kitchen supplies. There are several options for making a non-commercial drain cleaner. Most contain vinegar and another substance that cause a chemical reaction when combined. Check if you have the following unclogging substances at home:
   • Vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar both work) is the acidic substance to make the foaming reaction.
   • Lemon juice is also sour, just like vinegar, but it smells refreshing. This makes lemon juice a good option for unclogging a clogged kitchen drain.
   • Sodium hydrogen carbonate (soda) is regularly used as a versatile cleaning agent.
   • Salt will help eat up the blockage.
   • Borax is regularly used as a versatile cleaning agent.
3. Pour vinegar and another unclogging agent down the drain. There is no need to mix the substances before pouring them down the drain. The mixture will foam on its own as the chemical reaction takes place.
   • For a vinegar and sodium bicarbonate mixture: use 1/2 cup of sodium bicarbonate and 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
   • For a lemon juice and sodium bicarbonate combination: use 1 cup of sodium bicarbonate and 1 cup of lemon juice.
   • For a combination of salt, borax, and vinegar: Use 1/4 cup of borax, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/2 cup of vinegar.
   EXPERT TIP

   Cover the drain and let the mixture soak in. Plug in or cover the drain with a hot cloth. Leave the drain closed for 30 minutes. During this time, the foam will attack and reduce the blockage.

4. Unclog the drain. Use a small plopper to agitate the material causing the blockage. Place the plopper so that it completely closes the drain and move the plopper up and down quickly.
   • Pumping with a plopper works best when you fill the tub or sink with water. The extra pressure of the water will force the blockage to loosen.
5. Use a clothes hanger to pull out the blockage. If the drain is full of hair, take a metal coat hanger and turn it until you have a long piece of metal with a hook on the end. Carefully insert the hook into the drain. Turn the metal and try to get the blockage. Gently pull the hook back once you get to the blockage.
   • Be careful not to scratch the sink or tub with the metal. Also be careful when bending the clothes hanger over. The metal can be sharp.
6. Use a tension spring. A tension spring looks like a long metal rope. You have to gently lower the spring into the drain. When he can't go any further, turn the cable. This will make it grab onto the blockage. If you pull the spring back gently, the blockage will come out. Rinse with water and repeat the steps one more time.
   • Wear work gloves as the tension spring can be sharp. Also, make sure you have a bucket and an old towel handy to put the grime in.

Method 3 of 3: Flush the drain

1. Flush the drain with hot water. Bring at least one and a half liters of water to the boil. Remove the cloth from the drain and slowly pour in the hot water.
   • If you have plastic pipes, just use very hot water but avoid boiling water.
2. Repeat. If the water still drains slowly, repeat the process until the drain is unclogged.
   • If the blockage still refuses to flush, you could be dealing with a hairball. You may need to manually clear the blockage. Consider calling in an installer, especially if the drain stops running completely.
3. Use gravity and pressure to flush the drain. This works best with a clogged bathtub, because you can fill it with many tens of liters of water. Fill the bathtub with hot water. Then open the drain and let the pressure of all that water help break up the blockage.

Tips

• Make sure you don't have any rusted pipes.
• You should see an improvement after 2 or 3 tries. If the drain is clogged with a hairball, you will actually need to remove the blocking material.
• These methods work best if you discover the problem before the drain is completely clogged.

Warnings

• Concentrated vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda are sometimes used to unclog a drain, but they are both irritants. They can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Avoid direct contact with skin, eyes and clothing.
• Avoid using these methods if you have already poured a purchased drain cleaner down the drain. The vinegar and chemicals in the purchased drain cleaner can create dangerous fumes.