Although most American kitchens are equipped with a Garbage Disposal, which can solve the problem of clogged kitchen drains. But other areas of the house, such as bathrooms and sinks, are also a significant source of clogs. Sometimes it feels like we’ve picked up the foreign objects from the pipes, but they still don’t work, especially if you have long hair.

And, if a leaky drain affects the downstairs, it can be a real problem, especially if you don’t have insurance. So how do we unclog our gutters in the USA? Today we’ll take a look at some of the best tips for dealing with drains.

Unclogging drains with life hacks

Here’s a quick and easy way to unclog a drain that’s both economical and easy to use.

The first is to clean the pipes: pour a glass of white vinegar into the lines and after 30 minutes, flush them with hot water to remove any dirt that has stuck to them. Then pour a cup of baking soda into the pipes and rinse the lines with three cups of boiling water. If the pipes are still running slowly, rinse them again until the water runs faster, indicating that the foreign matter attached to the lines has disappeared.

To remove odours from pipes: squeeze the fresh lemon juice into the lines and wait for an hour without flushing. If you don’t have fresh lemons to hand, you can also use concentrated lemon juice, about half a cup will do. Afterwards, pour the bleach into the sink to clean the sink and leave it for ten minutes before rinsing the bleach out.

If the waste disposal (Garbage Disposal) in the sink is working well, but there is still an odour in the sink, pour ice cubes into it, and the unit will crush them, rinse them well and let the ice take the waste away. Waste disposals are generally fragile, but ice cubes will not rub against them excessively and cause wear and tear.

Professional methods

If you can’t deal with a stubborn drain with the above tricks, you’ll have to get tough.

1. The Plunger

That’s right! You can find them in supermarkets, or on Amazon if you’re too fussy about going out. Not only can you use it on the toilet, but it’s also great for drains, so if you’re good at it, you won’t have to worry about sucking up dirt.

But! If you only have one extractor on hand, don’t mix it up, after all, we have dishes to wash in this sink,

2. Drain wire/plastic barbs

Both of these things work on the same principle; they put a long object into the drainpipe and roll out any foreign objects in the pipe. These work particularly well with hair and the like, and are also suitable for stubborn toilet paper, and both tools are reusable.

There is a better one for drain wire called the Drain Millipede, which you can search for on Amazon. Be gentle when using this, it can be mighty and can easily break a drain if you’re not careful, causing inconvenience to your friends downstairs.

Barbed Plastic Drain Cleaning Tool is also a standard tool, very inexpensive, very long and hard, very flexible plastic strip with a row of barbs, very sharp, so be careful not to break your hand when using it.

3. Vacuum cleaner

Who says hoovers can only be used on the floor? They are also suitable for unblocking drains, either wet or dry. Most hoovers sold in shopping centres have an output mode, which is the same as a hairdryer that blows air outwards. Aim the mouth of the hoover at the drain and plug the gap in the gutter with a towel to blow away any stubborn dirt from the pipes. However, if you blow for too long, you can also damage the downpipe, so it’s essential to keep it under control yourself.

4. Heating pads

The kitchen drain is easily clogged with grease, so in this case, it is better to wrap a heating pad around the outside of the pipe, so that the oil will dissolve after the temperature rises, and the problem of a clogged drain can be solved.

5. Chemical unblocking methods

Lastly, we would like to introduce you to the chemical unblocking method, which is a no-brainer.

This is a chemical unblocker that can be used with the help of a supermarket pipe unblocker, the most common being Drano Max Gel, which is a miracle unblocker that can be poured into a pipe and solves any blockage in about ten minutes. However, it is essential to be safe when using this product, as it is very corrosive, so take necessary precautions when using it, wear gloves, never touch your skin and if it gets on your skin, flush it quickly with plenty of water.

If the blockage is severe, you can choose to rinse at night after a bath. This unblocker works better with hot water and becomes quite useful overnight. The next day after the treatment, do not immediately wash your face, wash your hair, first in the hot water flush again sewer, first to determine the pipe has been unblocked, if the water flow is smooth, this means that the line has been freed.

To avoid blockages in the sewer, you should remember to clean the pipes in the kitchen and toilet in time, especially for girls with long hair, as the lines will not be so easily blocked if they are cleaned in time.

Finally, I would like to remind you that you should not use corrosive chemicals to unclog the sewers, as this will not only damage the sewers but also threaten your safety. If you have children at home, you should pay particular attention to these products and don’t just throw them in places where children can get them, it’s hazardous.