Unclogging The Drain

Drains at our homes do get clogged very frequently due to various materials that keep entering them. These materials may vary from place to place like; this clogging may be due to the organic wastes in the washroom that have not been flushed properly. In our kitchens various food particles and a lot of grease keeps entering the drain that may one day cause considerable clogging. Not only this, a lot of scum from the soap and hairs keep entering our washroom drains, to add to it other material like the sachets of the shampoos and hair pins fall into them making them clogged. Clogging does not occur in one day rather the materials get deposited in layers around the drain slowly and slowly, and eventually get clogged one day. If you are in such a situation in which your drain has clogged and your sink is full of Grey murky water you have the right to be depressed about the situation.

But we suggest you to sit up because unclogging a drain is an easy task and will not require too much effort from you. The first thing you have to do is to check the stopper or strainer of your sink or the tub. Sometimes stuff just gets stuck into these giving the impression of the clogging. Clean the stopper carefully. Most of the stoppers get removed easily. If the stopper is the fixed one use a screwdriver for removing it. When you have removed the stopper, then inspect the drain manually. While inspecting the drain wear rubber gloves on your hand to keep them clean. Some material may be lying in the drain that can be easily removed. Also check for a foreign body obstruction like a bottle cap etc that may fall in the drain blocking the passage of the water. If the foreign body is within the reachable limits of your hands then remove it. If it is not in the reachable limit you will have to call a plumber to fix your problem.

If after thorough manual inspection you did not find anything use a plunger and pour in hot water. Hot water is a very good source of removing the grease and the clogs that are present in the drain by melting them away. You may also like to insert a snake or auger in the drain to check where the clogging actually is present. If none of the things have helped you as a last resort you will have to take the help of the chemical cleaners. Different cleaning products are easily available in the market in different brands. These may include acidic or alkaline cleaners. Hydrochloric acid is the most commonly used chemical cleaner. It is heavier than the water and reaches the clog and dissolve it making your drain clean. However you need to take safety into account when you are using these chemicals because they can cause significant burns on the skin if they come in touch with it. Keep your cleaners out of the reach of children.