Many customers are asking us what they can do if they have a minor case of a clogged drain. We want to give you a short guide on how you can help yourself out and clean your drain at the first sign of blockage.

DIY blocked drains

You can prevent big drain problems by solving small congestions. If you notice water draining slowly in any of your sinks, it´s time to act.

In the early stages of blockage or minor clogs, you can use simple household remedies like vinegar, baking soda, and lots of hot water, which can be an effective tool in clearing slow-draining sinks.

Follow these steps:

The first step is to dry your tub or sink. If you remove the slow draining water first, the mixture will work much faster.

Grab the following ingredients once the water has drained away:

  1. Vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar works well) is the acidic base for creating the foaming reaction we are looking for. Or you can use lemon juice, as it is acidic like vinegar but smells much better. This makes lemon juice a good option for clearing out clogged kitchen sinks as well.
  2. Baking soda is frequently used as a multipurpose cleanser, so grab this to help.
  3. Salt will help eat away at the blockage as well.

What to do:

Now choose the vinegar or lemon juice and either baking soda or salt as the foaming agent. When you’re ready, pour it down the drain. You don´t need to mix it before doing this.

Here are the quantities you’ll need:

  • For a vinegar and baking soda combination: use 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
  • For a lemon juice and baking soda combination: use 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of lemon juice.
  • For a salt and vinegar combination: use 1/4 cup of borax, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/2 cup of vinegar.

Once you’ve poured this down the sink, cover it up with a a steaming hot cloth. Keep it that way for 30 minutes.

After this time has passed, start to plunge the drain. You can use a small plunger or even your hand. Just make sure to create a seal to suck the clog upwards.

If you see the clog is hair, use a coat hanger, Make a hook on the end and carefully feed the hook down into the drain. Try to capture the hair and pull it out.

If you have a drain snake, you can loosen up the clog with this as well. Make sure you have a bucket ready before doing all this, otherwise, you´ll create a huge mess.

Now we´re coming to the end where you flush the drain with hot water. Do this once you’ve completed the steps above.

If necessary, repeat the steps one by one until the drain becomes clear. In stubborn cases, especially when the drain completely stops, call a qualified and experienced drain cleaner from the Gold Coast like Drain Cleaning Gold Coast.

We´ll be glad to help you with your blocked drains. Give us a call on 1800 988 299 today.