unclog pipes It can become a real headache if you don’t know how to do it. The truth is that although there are some options to unclog drains at home, they are not always known by people, and that is why many times they end up resorting to professional unclogs.
Although there is always the option of calling a plumber to fix the problem, if we have an old plumbing system, the problem may appear often. Call someone specialized whenever we have to unclog pipes can negatively affect our budget.
The truth is that it is a common problem in all houses and, as common as it is, it is still uncomfortable. That’s why you have to know some effective tricks to unclog pipes. The good news is that there are several cheap and easy to apply tricks to do it effectively, without having to break, disassemble or call the plumber.
How to unclog pipes with homemade products?
In this note we leave you three tricks and tips so you can free your pipes from the content that is blocking them. So the next time you wonder how to unclog a drainyou can refer back to this guide to do it yourself.
1) baking soda and vinegar: Household “chemical” product
The properties of sodium bicarbonate are almost inexhaustible. In this case, combined with vinegar, it is an excellent natural chemical product to unclog pipes.
How to unclog pipes with this technique? We tell you step by step:
- Heat water to boiling and pour some down the drain.
- Pour half a cup of baking soda into the sink and let it sit for five minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a separate mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of very hot water. After five minutes, add the mixture and wait another 10 minutes.
- Clean everything with a good amount of boiling water. The passage of water will remove all the residue loosened by the baking soda and vinegar.
In stores you can get specialized products to unclog pipes. However, these homemade products can be just as efficient, and they can be corrosive, both to the pipe and to you.
2) Create your own drain cleaner tool
Another option to unclog the drain is using tools. The most common is to use a rubber plunger (also known as a soup plug), which acts with a suction system that removes some dirt from the pipes.
However, if you’ve made it this far, chances are you’ve already tried this, to no avail. It is that it is not the most appropriate tool to unblock large jams, but rather some small ones.
The best tool is the tape or snake type, which is a long piece of steel used to remove accumulations of residue in the pipes. The tool is inserted into the pipe, and then twists and pulls, causing the blockages to break up.
How to make snake tool at home?
Although it is a tool that can be purchased at a hardware store, you can also make your own.
All you need to get is a long piece of wire (a disassembled coat hanger is ideal).
- Once you have a long wire that is as straight as possible (if you use a clothes hanger you must disassemble it first), bend 7 mm from one end. Use pliers to bend and pin the wire in place.
- Push the end with the bend through the pipe and as it comes down, twist it.
- Once it’s in, pull slowly.
- Repeat the process as many times as necessary.
- At the end, pour boiling water to remove any remaining residue.
3) Prevention
- The best way to avoid clogged pipes is to take preventive measures. If you spend a lot of time without taking care of your pipes, it is normal for them to get clogged.
- For starters, be careful not to dump all of your waste down the sink. Try to avoid mainly too large food remains, coffee or yerba mate. You can use a filter that prevents large debris from going into the pipes.
- You can also do a cleaning every two or three weeks, with special products for it, to get ahead of obstructions. They are less corrosive products than what you need to unclog large blockages, and they will allow you to not have to deal with them.
- If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can pour 4 cups of boiling water once a week, which will help the accumulated fat dissolve and circulate.