There are many ways to unclog a drain. If you read our article,

Read More: The Basics Of Unclogging A Drain

In the previous article in this series,

Read More: The Best Way To Unclog A Drain

However, just as important as knowing what to do about unclogging a drain is knowing what NOT to do.

What could be easier?

Truth is, the only thing chemical drain cleaners do well is make money for chemical drain cleaner manufacturers.

Chemical drain cleaners are quite expensive in the long run because they are dangerous both to your pipes and, more importantly, to you, your family and your pets. And they are certainly no friend to the environment.

One of the Most Dangerous Ways To Unclog A Drain

These chemicals give off fumes that may irritate those who are sensitive to allergies. Small children, dogs and cats are especially at risk from the fumes. Just bringing them into your house is dangerous to your children and pets because, if ingested, liquid drain cleaner can be fatal.

They are dangerous even when used properly because they are highly poisonous, and so caustic that they can burn you if they come in contact with your skin. Some are very heavy duty and should only be used by licensed plumbers, who often wear special gloves and face masks to protect themselves against accidental splashes.

Old Metal pipes can be compromised by liquid drain cleaners – the cleaner can actually create a hole in the pipe. An inconvenient clog has now resulted in a leak.

That leak can lead to water damage that may destroy the interior, exterior or foundation of your home. That water damage results in contamination creating a breeding ground for several types of bacteria, which could lead to disease.

“The worst part is, chemical drain cleaners are not always effective.”

Smartest Drain Cleaning Advice

The worst part is, chemical drain cleaners are not always effective, leaving you with a sink full of toxic chemical water that’s stopped up by the same clog you started with.

There’s just no reason to use chemical drain cleaners or homemade gadgets like coat hangers or other whizbang devices for sale on late-night television.

And please don’t use professional grade plumbing equipment like hydrojetters or high power snakes on your own. There’s a reason plumbers that use them are trained and licensed.

The EPA website explains how to avoid the potential risks associated with household hazardous wastes here. Drain cleaners are at the top of the list.

The best advice is the smartest – unless the clog can be cleared with one of the ways we discussed in this series, you’re better off calling your local licensed plumber.

You’re probably standing over a clogged drain right now. Well, maybe not. Still, you’re obviously curious about the best way to unclog a drain. So why wait to find out more about drain cleaning?

In the previous article in our drain cleaning series,

Read More: The Basics Of Unclogging A Drain

Let’s just briefly cover unclogging the three basic types of drains in your home: sinks, tubs/showers, toilets.

No matter which drain is clogged, if you intend to try a DIY solution, there are some things you should do to prepare.

Before you Unclog a Drain

First, protect yourself. Before attempting to unclog any drain, always wear eye protection. Water under pressure tends to splash around and really don’t want dirty, contaminated or caustic water in your eye.

Always wear rubber gloves. Water in a clog usually contains harmful bacteria you don’t want on your hands. Rubber gloves will keep your hands clean and dry.

While you’re at it, you might as well wear old clothes. You’re likely to get dirty and wet.

Next, protect your house. Spread out paper towels on the floor to soak up any liquids that may splash while you’re working. And turn on the ventilation fan or open a window to vent any fumes that may emanate from the clogged drain.

Now that you’re ready, let’s begin.

“If you move on to using a plunger, make sure you’re using the right type.”

Unclogging a Sink Drain

If possible, start by bailing out whatever water you can from the sink. If you plan to start with hot or boiling water, it works better if you pour straight down the drain rather than through standing water. The same goes if you want to use vinegar and baking soda, baking soda and salt or dish washing liquid.

Remove the stopper or drain plug if you can. A bathroom stopper, controlled by a little rod near the faucet, isn’t that difficult to remove if you can get easy access to it.

If you move on to using a plunger, make sure you’re using the right type. For a sink, use a cup plunger. Its flat base makes a good seal around the flat area of the drain.

You’ll need to seal the sink overflow outlet with duct tape or a damp rag. Otherwise, the air pressure from the plunger will escape out the overflow rather than press down against the clog.

An inch or so of water in the sink will ensure a good seal between the plunger and the drain.

Use quick, sharp plunges, up and down attempt to clear the obstruction. Sometimes, a few plunges is enough to remove the clog, But if the clog is stubborn, you may have to work for some time. Be patient.

Once the clog is gone and the drain is open, run the water for a minute or so to clear the drain of any remaining debris.

Unclogging a Bathtub Drain

Usually, unclogging a bathtub drain is all about removing that build-up of hair below the strainer or stopper. So, start by removing the strainer and the stopper. Some bathtubs may only have a stopper and no strainer.

Using a drain claw, available at your local home center, insert the hooked end into the drain. Move the drain claw in a slow back-and-forth motion to grab any hair that is clogging the drain. It can be a nasty job but once you’ve got a hold of some of the “gunk,” remove the drain claw and clean it.

If the clog seems to have cleared, run the water for a minute or so. If the clog is past the stopper, you may have to follow the steps we outlined in the “Unclogging a Sink Drain” section above. Use the cup plunger for the tub as well.

Once the clog is gone, replace the strainer and stopper.

Unclogging a Toilet

The last thing anyone wants is a clogged toilet. But because toilets have a bigger drain, they generally don’t clog as often as sinks or tubs. Many times, the clog is caused by toys and other items that kids have flushed down the toilet. Might be a good idea to discourage children throwing things into the toilet.

In addition, if the jets around the toilet bowl’s edge get clogged with dirt, insufficient water to completely flush the toilet is released, which can lead to a clog. Weekly toilet cleaning with a brush will prevent build-up.

For clogs not caused by one of your kids, you can just wait and flush later. The weight of the water in the bowl exerts its own pressure on the clog which may eventually clear by itself.

Before you try any other method of unclogging your toilet, you must make sure the toilet doesn’t refill and possibly overflow while you work. First, take the lid off the tank and close the toilet flapper.

Then, close the shut-off valve to the water supply line. Find the football-shaped handle under the toilet tank and turn it clockwise.

Be careful! Old valves can be stuck and corroded, and turning them may cause some leakage.

If you’d rather not wait overnight to unclog your toilet, you can try the hot or boiling method described earlier. Just remember you have to bail most of the water out of the toilet first, which can be a very unpleasant task to say the least. And be careful when pouring boiling water onto a cold, brittle, china toilet bowl. You could easily crack it.

Perhaps you’ll decide to use a plunger to clear your clogged toilet. Follow the plunger procedure described earlier.

The only difference is that you need to use a flange plunger instead of a cup plunger.

Run some hot water over the plunger to warm it up and make it more flexible, giving a better seal on the toilet bowl. Lower the plunger into the toilet at an angle so the boot fills with water and isn’t trapping air. Insert the flange into the drain hole and press down so the boot seals tightly around the hole. Again, use quick, sharp plunges to clear the obstruction.

For those who are handier than most, an auger might help clean a drain. But for most average homeowners, going beyond the tips presented here is probably not warranted.

In most cases, you’re probably safer calling a local licensed plumber.

You’ll Eventually have to Unclog a Drain

You change the oil in your car regularly. You visit the dentist twice a year. You even go to gym a couple times a week. All to avoid unexpected problems. But if you having indoor plumbing – and we all do – you eventually have to deal with unclogging a drain.

However, a clogged drain doesn’t have to be a huge downer. No need to have your day ruined. There are just a few basics you need to know, a few things to avoid, and a couple “how-to” steps to follow to keep your all your drains flowing.

In this article, we’ll explain some drain basics – the types of drains in your home and some ways to keep them clean and clog-free. In future articles (

Read More: The Best Way To Unclog A Drain

Read More: Avoid These Ways To Unclog A Drain

The Drain Cleaning “Trap”

Before you start to tackle a clogged drain, it might to explain, in simple terms, the basic drain system of a typical home. That will guide you to what clogs you can handle on your own, what clogs may require some help, and what clogs should definitely be handled by a professional plumber.

The first thing water – and anything else that gets past the drain – encounters after leaving a sink or tub is something called a “trap.” A trap is the curved piece of pipe, usually shaped like a “P,” directly downstream of the drain. The reason you need a trap is to prevent sewer gases from coming up from the sewer and into your home.

When water flows out of your sink or tub, some of it remains in the lower part of the bend in the trap. That little bit of water keeps sewer gases out.

Older homes used to have (and many still do) an “S” trap. These traps works in essentially the same way as ‘P” traps. But “P” traps have vents where they turn downward toward the sewer stack. “S” traps aren’t properly vented. They had a tendency to “siphon” the water out that’s supposed to remain behind to keep sewer gases out.

Many states have now outlawed “S” traps by code. Check with a licensed plumber to see if you should have your old “S” traps replaced with newer “P” traps.

““P” traps have vents where they turn downward toward the sewer stack. “S” traps aren’t properly vented.”

3 Tips for Unclogging A Drain

Most clogs usually happen in or near the trap. In the kitchen sink, they consist of grease or fat or bits of food. They’re usually made up of hair in bathroom sinks or tubs.

Soften things a bit

Sometimes, all these clogs need is a bit of softening up to get them cleaned out. Hot or even boiling water is the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to clear a clog so try that first.

A note of caution: Only use boiling water if you have metal pipes. Avoid using boiling water if you have plastic or PVC pipes. Water that’s hotter than 175 F can damage some types of PVC pipe. And be careful when pouring the boiling water directly into a porcelain sink. The hot water on a cool basin can crack it.

Some people have had some luck unclogging a drain by using salt and boiling water, vinegar and baking soda, baking soda and salt or even just some dishwashing liquid. These “home remedies” work by softening the clog. With a bit of patience – you may have to wait overnight in some cases – the clogs may loosen themselves.

However, these drain cleaning methods often lead to a sink of tub full of nasty water over a stubborn clog. It may be time to add some “elbow grease.”

A little help please?

At the first sign of a clog, most people grab the “plumber’s helper”- a plunger. Just be sure to use the right kind of plunger and use it correctly. We explain all about plungers in the next article (

Read More: The Best Way To Unclog A Drain

A clean sweep

Finally, you can clean your drain’s P-trap to clear the clog. Just place a bucket under the drain to catch any water or debris that may fall out. Unfasten the P-trap from the drainpipe and clear out anything that is stuck in there. Then merely replace the trap and run water through it.

Things are Stacking Up

We’ll explain in more detail how to unclog your drain in our next article in this series,

Read More: The Best Way To Unclog A Drain

Beyond all the various traps in your plumbing system is the sewer stack. This is a bigger pipe system that collects all the waste water and sends it out of your house.

Many sewer stacks – but not all – have a check valve just before they exit your house. This prevents any raw sewage from backing-up into your home. Again, check with a licensed plumber to see if you have a sewer check valve and have one installed if you don’t.

If your clog is beyond the trap and into the sewer stack, you may need to use some type of auger to break-up or remove the clog. Augers aren’t very expensive and seem, at first glance, easy to use. But you should be very careful not to scratch you sink, tub or toilet if you decide to go this route.

Also, unclogging a drain at this level tends to be a larger job and requires significantly more effort and skill to acheive. If you’re not sure how to use an auger properly, you may end up with a clog AND and auger stuck in you pipes.

Once the sewer pipe leaves your home, waste water enters the sewage system of your town or your septic system. Clogs at this point are generally caused by root penetration. Tree roots can be quite powerful as they seek water wherever it’s available, including your sewer pipe. Problem clogs here are best left to professional plumbers.

Avoid the clog

Maybe the best drain cleaning advice might be avoiding a clog in the first place. Pouring equal parts of vinegar and baking soda down the drain on a regular basis will keep your sink smelling fresh and running clean. It goes without saying that you should never put bacon grease, coffee grounds or oils down your kitchen drain.

But when a clog does happen – and it eventually will – start by softening the clog and see if that clears it. You may have to use a plunger or even clean the trap manually. We discuss some things you should definitely NOT do in our final article in this series,

Read More: Avoid These Ways To Unclog A Drain

For deeper, more stubborn clogs, however, it may be easier and cheaper in the long run to call your local licensed plumber. They’ll know exactly what to do to get your water flowing again in no time.