A clogged drain, whether in your tub, your bathroom sink or your kitchen, can be a foul experience. Pools of water grow larger, chunks of debris and gunk might come back up and nasty odors pervade the room. When you encounter a clogged drain, you’re going to want to get it cleared up as soon as possible.
Before you call a septic service in Bethel, OH, try to get the drain unclogged yourself. However, strong chemicals and cleaning products can wreak havoc on your drains and cause problems with your septic system. Instead of pouring drain cleaners down the sink, you should try a few alternate methods to clear the clog. While there are many methods that are rumored to work well, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best that actually work at unclogging your drain:
- Boiling water: Although it may seem obvious, many people forget that simply boiling water and pouring it down the drain helps to dissolve many clogs. This tip works best if you separate the water into two or three pours, allowing the water to work in the drain for a few seconds between each attempt. Don’t simply run your hot water, though; get the water as hot as possible for the best results.
- Baking soda and vinegar: A mixture of baking soda and vinegar usually works to dissolve pesky drain clogs. Mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar in a cup and immediately pour down the drain. The fizzing action helps dislodge clogs. After a few seconds, run hot water to flush everything down. This tip works really well on bathroom sink or tub drains probably clogged by hair or other debris.
- Dish detergent: Similarly, a mixture of water and dish detergent can help dissolve nasty fat, grease and oil clogs. Pour dish detergent down the drain first, than flush with hot water. Using a plunger with this method might also help.
- Wire hanger: If the liquid methods aren’t working for you, you might need to dislodge the clog yourself. Take an old wire hanger and straighten it out, leaving one end of the hanger bent to create a sort of fishhook. Put the hook end into the drain and “fish” around to pull up any gunk or hair you can. Make sure to not push it farther down the drain!
- Clean the pipe: When worst comes to worst, you might need to take things a step further. Grab a bucket and a wrench and loosen the trap (or U-shaped section) below the sink. Use the bucket to capture any leaks and to empty the trap into. If the clog wasn’t in that section, you might need to poke around in the other sections of pipe with an old toothbrush to remove the clog.
If you have an issue with your septic system, call Gullett Sanitation Services Inc.! For 75 years, we’ve been the local experts in wastewater services, tackling all challenges from dewatering of sludge and slurries to service and repairs on residential sewer systems. We offer fast and reliable septic service in Bethel, OH, so give us a call!