Blocked sinks, showers and baths
Got a blocked kitchen or bathroom sink? A drain cleaner from the supermarket might do the job. But it all depends on what’s causing the blockage.
In a kitchen sink, the cause is often fats and oils washed down the sink. They harden, food scraps stick to them, and the drain blocks. In a bathroom sink, shower or bath, the cause is often soap scum and hair that clump together.
In both cases, a supermarket drain cleaner may break up the fats, oils or soap scum and clear the blockage.
Try boiling water
Boiling water from a kettle can work just as well on its own. Or add some baking soda and vinegar after you pour in the hot water. This makes a fizz, like the drain cleaners you buy, which can sometimes break up the blockage.
- Pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain.
- Add baking soda and vinegar.
- Put the plug in if you can and wait 5 to 10 minutes.
- Pour another kettle of boiling water down the drain to wash it all out.
Try a plunger
A plunger works best on sinks and showers. It pushes and pulls water through the blocked part of the drain to break the blockage up. But you might pull it all back up into your sink or shower.
If it works, great! You may have cleared the blockage. But there’s a big risk you’ve just pushed it deeper into your drain. That’s where things get tricky.
How you can make it worse
Your drain may already be partly blocked. Waste washed down in the past can dry and harden inside the pipe. If you push more material down, it can join that old build up and block the drain completely further down.
Tree roots in your drain are a serious problem. Pushing the blockage deep into the drain only makes things worse. If the fat, oil, soap scum and hair can’t get past the tree roots, you’ll have a very serious blockage on your hands.
What about a blocked toilet?
Clearing a blocked toilet yourself can be the hardest job of all, and the most gross. Again, it depends on what’s causing it.
Most toilet blockages come from too much toilet paper. But they can also come from flushing things that shouldn’t go down a toilet, like:
- “Flushable” wipes, which aren’t flushable.
- Tissues, which don’t break down.
- Paper towels, which don’t break down either.
- Other things that don’t belong there.
Anything that just pushes the ball of paper further down the toilet can make the blockage worse.
Toilets also don’t respond well to supermarket drain cleaners. Boiling water, baking soda and vinegar don’t tend to work well on toilets either.
So when your toilet blocks, it’s best to call in a professional. Get someone who is an expert in clearing all types of blockages, and has done it thousands of times before.
Call The Drain Man
Experts like The Drain Man have all the right gear. That includes high pressure water jetters and other equipment to clear all types of blockages.
We also put cameras down inside your drain. They show us exactly what’s causing the blockage and how bad it is. We’ll even show you the footage, so you see exactly what’s going on in your drains.
Sure, you can try to clear the drain yourself. But if you get into trouble and make the blockage worse, call The Drain Man on 1800 843 372 or send us an enquiry. We’ll reply quickly and get to work to clear your blocked drain fast.