Once in a while, you’ll find a drain or two clogged or slow. Don’t panic. Such a plumbing issue isn’t unusual at all. However, if the problem is recurring, you might want to have your system checked by a professional to determine whatever’s causing the trouble. Now if it’s not too often that your daily routine gets disrupted by plumbing emergencies like these, you just have one thing to consider: clean your drains regularly. Why? Well we all know that there are so many things that go down our pipes every time we use our plumbing. We can’t always prevent sticky substances from getting into the sink but we can always clean the system to prevent any kind of build-up. With regard to drain cleaners, we know that homeowners like you would want to save as much as you can. So here are a few suggestions for drain cleaning that won’t hurt your wallet.
1. Boiling Hot Water
Boiling hot water in itself is a powerful drain cleaner that you can use after every use of your sink or plumbing without making you spend for anything else other than your water and gas bill. This is pretty effective when washing out the grease and other oily substances that lingered inside your pipes. Just make sure that you’ll pour the boiling hot water into the drain and not let it touch any porcelain and plastic utensils as they may break.
2. Baking Soda & Vinegar
Moving forward, baking soda and vinegar is a popular DIY drain cleaner. Aside from the fact these ingredients are easy to get, they are also popular because once combined, they create a strong chemical reaction that attacks on waste materials which got stuck on the walls of your drainpipes. You simply have to pour a cup of good old baking soda. After that, pour a cup of vinegar (any variation will do). Let the two react and leave the drain alone until the fizzing stops. Once done, pour hot water to wash the ingredients away.
3. Baking Soda & Lemon Juice
If you want to give your drain a fresh scent after cleaning, substitute the vinegar with lemon juice. There’s no need to use fresh lemons because lemon juice concentrate is available in groceries. Simply pour your baking soda and follow it up with lemon juice. You’ll notice that the lemon content adds a citric, fresh smell on your drain afterwards.
4. Salt, Borax & Vinegar
This combination doesn’t work as fast as baking soda and vinegar do but it’s also effective. Combine a quarter cup of salt and a quarter cup of borax. Add half a cup of vinegar. Mix the ingredients and pour it down your drain. Follow it up with a kettle of hot water and let the mixture do its magic.
5. Alka Seltzer & Vinegar
Last but not the least, we have the Alka Seltzer. Yes, we know it’s something that we use for indigestion, hyperacidity and heartburn. But you know what? It’s also great for cleaning the drain. In fact, it creates the same effect as baking soda and vinegar. Just drop three to four tablets of Alka Seltzer into the drain and then pour your vinegar.
These are only some of the most popular options for a thrift drain cleaner. If DIY plumbing doesn’t work, then just hire the most reliable Pinecrest FL plumbing company. Douglas Orr Plumbing delivers exceptional and affordable plumbing services in Pinecrest FL including remodeling, sewer cleaning, backflow prevention, leak detection and many more! Call us at (305) 240-6731!
Want to repair leaking pipes on your own? Watch our video to learn how!