Are you experiencing any of the following? Water pooling around your feet when you shower? Sluggish kitchen drains? Unpleasant odors emanating from your sink or garbage disposal? Toilets that don’t complete a flush cycle? Before you resort to harsh chemicals or arm-wrenching attempts to manually unclog your drains, check out these 4 simple solutions for drain cleaning in Anaheim, CA.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar: These two ingredients can be found in most homes and provide a safe, easy solution for clearing your drains. Mix together equal parts baking soda and plain, white vinegar. If you’ve ever seen an elementary school science project, you already know these items will fizz and bubble immediately when they come into contact with each other. Add the baking soda to your drain first, then follow it with the vinegar. Let the solution work its magic for at least an hour (overnight, if possible). Follow up by flushing the drain with hot water.
- Boiling Water: Put a tea kettle on to boil. Don’t have a tea kettle? A big pot will suffice. When the water reaches a rolling boil or the tea kettle starts to whistle, simply pour the boiling water slowly and carefully down your clogged drain a third at a time. Allow each pour to work for a minute before adding the next pour. Boiling water is also a good preventive measure. Flushing your drains with boiling water on a weekly basis can help keep them clean and clear.
- Plunger and Elbow Grease: Your regular kitchen or bathroom plunger could be just what you need to clear a clogged drain. Understand the difference between sink and commode plungers. A sink plunger is the kind with a flat bottom. It creates a tight seal around the sink drain and a little effort should unclog most common household drains. A commode plunger comes equipped with a protruding flange that creates an airtight seal in your commode. Combined with a little elbow grease, this should suffice for most common toilet clogs.
- Liquid Dishwashing Detergent: Simple, grease-fighting, liquid dishwashing detergent can help unclog a sluggish drain. We’re talking about liquid dishwashing, not powdered, automatic dishwasher detergent. Clogged toilet? Pour about 1/4 cup of dishwashing detergent in the bowl. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then chase it down with hot water. Is the clog in a sink? Use 1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid and the same hot water flush to clear your drain. Dishwashing detergent acts as a lubricant and attacks greasy residue with gusto.
Most homeowners can use these simple solutions to manage their drains. If you need more advanced help or have a stubborn or completely blocked drain, call our professional plumbers. Drain cleaning in Anaheim, CA is our specialty. We’ll have you up and running in no time.