Clogged drains are not only a major inconvenience, but they can also damage your pipes if you ignore them too long. Everything from hair to grease to random food particles can cause clogs, which means that you need more than one method for unclogging your drain.
No matter what is causing the clog in your drain, we have a tip for taking care of it. So check out this list, decide which hack is best for your particular clog, and get to work making sure everything goes down the drain quickly again.
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1. Baking soda & vinegar
The easiest way to unclog your drain is with baking soda and vinegar. Start by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain. Follow that with 1/2 a cup of baking soda, which you'll leave alone for a couple minutes. Combine 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of hot water, pour it down the drain and immediately put a stopper over the drain. Let everything fizz inside the drain for about 10 minutes, remove the stopper and pour another pot of boiling water in to finish flushing out the clog.
The easiest way to unclog your drain is with baking soda and vinegar. Start by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain. Follow that with 1/2 a cup of baking soda, which you'll leave alone for a couple minutes. Combine 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of hot water, pour it down the drain and immediately put a stopper over the drain. Let everything fizz inside the drain for about 10 minutes, remove the stopper and pour another pot of boiling water in to finish flushing out the clog.
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2. Dawn dish soap
If your drain is clogged due to grease rather than hair or food particles, then you'll need to grab some dish soap from the kitchen (the blue Dawn soap works best). Pour 1/2 cup of Dawn down the drain and follow with boiling water.
If your drain is clogged due to grease rather than hair or food particles, then you'll need to grab some dish soap from the kitchen (the blue Dawn soap works best). Pour 1/2 cup of Dawn down the drain and follow with boiling water.
3. Salt
For a slow-moving drain, you'll need something corrosive that will scrape away at whatever's clogging your pipes. This is where salt comes to the rescue. Pour 1/2 cup of salt down your drain and slowly chase it with 2 liters of boiling water. Let this do its work for a few minutes before rinsing with hot tap water.
For a slow-moving drain, you'll need something corrosive that will scrape away at whatever's clogging your pipes. This is where salt comes to the rescue. Pour 1/2 cup of salt down your drain and slowly chase it with 2 liters of boiling water. Let this do its work for a few minutes before rinsing with hot tap water.
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4. Chopsticks & pipe cleaners
If your sink is draining slowly but there's no clog, then you might just need to clean out the drain a little. You can do this by wrapping a pipe cleaner around a chopstick, sticking it down the drain and circling the inside of the pipe to clear out all the gunk. Depending on how dirty it is in there, you might need to change pipe cleaners a couple times.
If your sink is draining slowly but there's no clog, then you might just need to clean out the drain a little. You can do this by wrapping a pipe cleaner around a chopstick, sticking it down the drain and circling the inside of the pipe to clear out all the gunk. Depending on how dirty it is in there, you might need to change pipe cleaners a couple times.
5. Velcro & wire
Hair is the most common culprit when it comes to clogged drains, which means you might have to find a way to pull the hair back out of the drain. If you don't have a plumbing snake on hand, you can make your own to get the job done. Take a flexible wire (or wire coat hanger) and attach a strip of Velcro to one end. As you slide the wire down the drain, hair will catch on the Velcro, making it easier to clean out.
Hair is the most common culprit when it comes to clogged drains, which means you might have to find a way to pull the hair back out of the drain. If you don't have a plumbing snake on hand, you can make your own to get the job done. Take a flexible wire (or wire coat hanger) and attach a strip of Velcro to one end. As you slide the wire down the drain, hair will catch on the Velcro, making it easier to clean out.
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6. Plunger
If your clog is past the point of no return and your sink is filled with water that won't drain, then it's time to bring in some tools. Well, actually just one tool. Grab a plunger (make sure it's a sink plunger, not a toilet plunger) and a towel. Use the towel to block the sink's overflow hole and then start working the plunger up and down to suction out the clog. Once your sink is drained, run a little hot water to clean out any residue from the clog.
If your clog is past the point of no return and your sink is filled with water that won't drain, then it's time to bring in some tools. Well, actually just one tool. Grab a plunger (make sure it's a sink plunger, not a toilet plunger) and a towel. Use the towel to block the sink's overflow hole and then start working the plunger up and down to suction out the clog. Once your sink is drained, run a little hot water to clean out any residue from the clog.