Blocked drains are the bane of any home existence. There really is not much more frustrating than not being able to use your sinks because something’s clogging it up. And while you can try to plunge your way through it, sometimes the best solutions are also pretty simple. Here are three home remedies for unclogging your drains. They may not work, depending on the nature of the clog, but they’re all a cheap alternative before you call a plumber in Toronto, and most use items you’ll already have in the home.
Pepsi, Coca-Cola or Equivalent
Pepsi and Coke might be the solution for your clogged drains
We’ve all probably heard those rumours that Coke and Pepsi can disintegrate things if left alone for awhile, that it corrodes and destroys things besides our stomach linings and tooth enamel. Well, it turns out these are right, at least when it comes to clogged drains. Pouring some of your favourite cola down a drain actually breaks apart some things that can clog our drains, which is actually pretty cool. The trick is to get some room temperature cola, at least one litre, and pour it down the drain. Let it stand for a couple of hours and then rinse it down with some boiling hot water. A combination of fizziness and high acidity can actually break clogs apart and get your drain working again.
Baking Soda and Other Stuff
Remember elementary science when your teacher would combine baking soda and vinegar and it would bubble and overflow? That can actually help clear drains too! There’s two ways you can do this: baking soda and vinegar, just like the olden days, or combined with salt. For the vinegar solution, sprinkle one part baking soda into the drain and pour one part white vinegar in after it. Leave it overnight (after you’ve determined it isn’t going to completely overflow your sink, and then pour boiling hot water down in the morning. For the salt mixture, combine together one part white vinegar, one part salt, and four parts hot water into a container. Then pour that into the drain. Leave it overnight again and follow it up with some more hot water in the morning.
Boiling Water
You’ve probably noticed both of these solutions use one key ingredient: boiling water. It’s not as effective, but it’s certainly cheaper to simply boil some water and pour it down the sink. The trick is to get a lot of hot water at a very hot temperature to melt the grease that’s probably blocking up your drain. Some people also swear by adding salt to it. It may reduce the boiling point, but it will also give your hot water some extra cleaning power.
These three methods could get your sinks and drains working again without having to call the plumber, which can save you money and get you back to your life in short order. But if these don’t work, make sure you call a professional plumber. There may be something going on in your pipes that needs a professional opinion. If that’s the case, a plumber can do a full drain inspection, fix the clog and get your pipes working again in no time.
