Drain cleaners can be a lifesaver when slow-draining or clogged sinks, showers, or toilets render your home unpleasant and gross. These chemicals breakdown clogs allow water to flow freely, but they aren’t always effective, so you must know what do to if drain cleaner doesn’t work.
Try vinegar and baking soda, boiling water, a plumbing snake, a plunger, or even manual removal if drain cleaners fail to eliminate clogs. Alternatively, you can substitute your current drain cleaner with a different brand.
You have multiple options to try if your drain cleaner fails. Below is a comprehensive look at each option, including how to use it.
What To Do If Drain Cleaner Doesn’t Work?
This section explores the different methods to break down or dissolve clogs in your drains or pipes. While they come in handy if drain cleaners fail, you can also use them if you wish to avoid chemical use since they can corrode your pipes if misused.
1. Boiling Water
This is the simplest and cheapest way to clear what’s clogging your drains and pipes. It’s especially effective against blockages caused by soap buildup or grease.
Pouring boiling water into your drains helps dissolve and break up substances causing clogging. The heat helps break apart various substances, such as food and hair particles.
Moreover, the force of water flowing down your pipes can help push the debris, thus clearing the clogs.
Follow these steps to unclog your drains using boiling water:
- Eliminate any visible buildup or debris.
- Boil water.
- Pour the hot water down your drain in stages, giving the water time to act and flow through your pipes.
Salt can also strengthen hot water since salt can dissolve organic matter like grease. So, add salt to boiling water, let it dissolve, pour it down your drain, and wait a couple of hours before flushing the drain with hot water.
Note
Exercise caution when handling hot water because you can burn yourself. Also, keep in mind that stubborn stains may require different strategies, like an auger.
2. Vinegar and Baking Soda
When you combine vinegar and baking soda, the chemical reaction breaks up clogs, thus clearing your drains. You can easily access baking soda and vinegar; in fact, they are readily available in many households because they are used for different things around the house.
Another upside of using vinegar and baking soda to clear your drains is that it’s an effective and natural remedy, making it eco-friendly.
Vinegar and baking soda are acidic and alkaline in nature, respectively. Carbon dioxide gas is produced when combined, which produces bubbles that help loosen and disintegrate the clog.
Additionally, a baking soda and vinegar combination can help dissolve organic matter, such as hair or grease, that may be contributing to the clog.
Do the following to unclog a drain using baking soda and vinegar:
- Loosen debris by pouring hot water into your drain.
- Pour baking soda (1/2 cup) down the drain, followed by vinegar (1/2 a cup).
- Cover the drain with a plug or towel to keep the bubbles inside, and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Wash the remaining debris with hot water.
Note
While vinegar and baking soda and vinegar can effectively unclog drains, it doesn’t work for every clog. For this reason, trying different methods or a professional plumber may be necessary to deal with stubborn or severe clogs.
3. Use a Plunger
Plungers are commonly used to unclog drains because they are cost-effective since they are inexpensive plumbing equipment and easy to use. Additionally, they’re safe and eco-friendly since they do not involve chemical use.
A plunger will also safeguard your pipes from damage chemicals used to dissolve clogs like tampons can cause. Using a plunger regularly can also help prevent clogs altogether.
The process of unclogging a drain using a plunger is pretty straightforward. Follow these steps:
a) Use The Right Plunger
Pick the plunger based on what you want to unclog. Use a cup plunger to unclog your tubs and sink and a flanger plunge to unblock your toilets.
b) Create A Perfect Seal
You need a perfect seal between your drain and plunger for effective plunging. Achieve this by filling the clogged fixture (sink, tub, toilet, or shower drain) with water to cover the plunger cup’s bottom.
In addition, the plunger must cover the drain completely and form a tight seal.
c) Push and Pull Your Plunger
Slowly push down the plunger and pull it up swiftly to create suction. Do this several times.
d) Examine The Drain
Your drain is unclogged if the water starts flowing. Suppose it doesn’t plunge the drain again or remove the clogs using different methods.
e) Clean Up
Clean your plunger after unclogging the drain. The area around the drain can also get dirty when unclogging, so you must clean it.
Although a plunger is kinder to pipes than chemicals, pushing it too hard can damage them, so avoid doing so. Furthermore, plunging clogs caused by hard objects like jewelry and toys can worsen the situation, so consider using a different method in such cases.
4. Use a Drain Snake
Like plungers, drain snakes are effective, cost-effective, safe, environmentally friendly, and prevent future blockages. However, a drain snake is a better option when dealing with blockages stuck deeper in your pipes.
You can use a drain snake in your shower, toilet, bathtub, and sinks because this equipment comes in different types and lengths, making it ideal for various drain types and sizes. Consider this 25 Inch Hair Drain Clog Remover Tool (View on Amazon) since it is highly flexible, durable, and suitable for your tub, toilet, sewer, sink, and toilet.
Below is the process of unclogging drains using a drain snake:
a) Choose the Correct Drain Snake
Handheld drain snakes that have flexible cables are suitable for bathtubs, showers, and sinks. On the other hand, augers with curved tips and longer cables are ideal for toilets because they let you navigate through the toilet trap.
b) Insert The Auger Into Your Drain
Slowly direct the drain snake into your clogged drain, then stop once you feel some resistance.
c) Turn The Drain Snake’s Handle
Push the clog down the pipe by turning the drain snake’s handle. You’ll have to twist the drain snake clockwise while pushing it if it’s handheld.
d) Break Up The Clogs
Break the blockage apart by turning the drain snake’s handle in the opposite direction.
e) Remove The Drain Snake
Slowly retract the cable of the drain snake, pulling out any debris with it
f) Test Your Drain
Pour water into your drain to check if it flows freely or is still clogged. Reinsert the drain snake if the obstruction is still inside your pipe or drain.
g) Clean Up
Clean any mess you made while unclogging, and wash your drain snake.
A drain snake can worsen a clog comprising hard objects like toys, so you may want to let a professional handle such cases.
5. Try A Different Drain Cleaner
If your drain cleaner brand doesn’t work, consider replacing it with a different one because there are numerous drain cleaners. Some excellent choices include:
- Drano Max Gel Liquid Clog Remover
- Green Gobbler Drain Clog Remover
- Liquid-Plumr Hair Clog Eliminator
- CLR Clear Pipes & Drains
Drano is a famous choice and synonymous with removing clogs, but you must know how to use it for your drain and pipes’ safety. For instance, you should flush Drano with hot water for 5 to 15 minutes.
You should pick a drain cleaner explicitly designed for the clog you want to remove. For instance, Liquid-Plumr’s thick gel handles hair clogs inside your shower, tub, and sink drains.
On the other hand, Green Gobbler Drain Clog Dissolver takes care of various organic matter like toilet paper, soap scum, hair, and wipes.
6. Manual Removal
You may be able to retrieve the clog manually with tweezers or pliers if it’s close enough. However, do this carefully to avoid pushing the clog further.
7. Hire an Experienced Plumber
A professional plumber may be better equipped to handle your clogged drains, especially if every method you try fails. Hiring a professional plumber has many upsides.
These include:
a) Expertise and Experience
Professional plumbers work in different areas of your home to install, repair, or even remove plumbing fixtures. This gives them the expertise and experience to identify the cause of different issues, such as persistent clogs.
They understand plumbing equipment better. Therefore, troubleshooting them comes easier to them, and they can use the best possible techniques to handle your clogged drains.
b) Safety
Plumbers are taught skills to handle different tools and harsh chemicals safely. This comes in handy considering unclogging drains can get messy and even dangerous, particularly when using harsh chemicals or tools you are unfamiliar with.
c) Proper Equipment
Some tools and substances used to unclog drains, like drain cleaners and plungers, are easily accessible and affordable. However, others, especially specialized equipment and tools, are typically pricey and not readily available to average homeowners.
However, plumbers have equipment and tools explicitly designed to clear clogs effectively and quickly.
d) Time-Saving
Unclogging your drain can take several hours since you’ll need to diagnose the issue first. You may also have to try different methods before finding one that works.
On the flip side, professional plumbers can quickly troubleshoot and fix the issue; besides, it is part of their job. Therefore, hiring a plumber is convenient and time-saving, giving you ample time to handle other things.
E) Long-Term Savings
Unless you have many years of experience unclogging and working with drains, you can easily damage your plumbing system when unclogging drains. This can result in expensive repairs and inconveniences.
Avoid this by letting a pro handle your clogged drains to make sure the job is done correctly.
Final Thoughts on What To Do If Drain Cleaner Doesn’t Work
Since there are multiple ways of clearing clogs, blocked drains and pipes should not keep you from using different facilities in your home, like your tub or toilet. So, if drainer cleaners do not work, try the abovementioned methods. Some methods, like boiling water, are simpler than others, such as using a drain snake.