DIY Drain Cleaners that are Actually Effective

Drain cleaning has never been an easy task. Clogged, smelly drains are a nuisance and a very frustrating thing. Imagine you are expecting guests at your place, and there is water standing around the drains with an awfully bad smell.

Clogging of drains could happen due to a great many reasons. However, we can prevent them by avoiding some nasty habits. Not all clogs are of the same capacity. Some of them are easy to clean with homemade remedies and cleaners. However, some of the clogs are stubborn and difficult to handle. They need the attention of a professional plumber. Calling a plumber means an extra burden on your pocket.

Often people use chemical drain cleaners available in the market for drain cleaning purposes. However, we suggest that it is not a good idea at all. These chemical cleaners are easy to use but they have a very bad impact on the bathroom furnishings and plumbing of your home in the long run. Chemical cleaners have harsh chemicals that ruin the plumbing as well as the tiles and porcelain products in your bathroom. That is why it is not a good idea to use commercial cleaners very often.

The good news is that we can make many DIY cleaners on our own very easily. These cleaners have proved to be very effective in drain cleaning and unclogging.

DIY Drain Cleaners

Fortunately, we have DIY drain cleaners made of natural and homemade products that are very effective in the cleaning process. These cleaners contain natural and easily available ingredients that are also not harmful to the plumbing of your house or bathroom furnishings. Let’s take a look at these DIY drain cleaners.

Baking Soda + Vinegar

Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. It is a chemical compound with excellent cleaning properties. That is why it is often used for cleaning purposes. Distilled white vinegar is another ingredient that is used to cut down grease layer and oil deposits, etc. follow the below steps to make the DIY cleaners for drain cleaning and unclogging.

• Take 1/3 cup of baking soda.
• Take 1/3 cup of vinegar.
• Take a pot with some water in it.
• Boil the water until it reaches the boiling point.
• Pour down baking soda into the drain.
• Pour down vinegar and let the mixture rest inside for some time.
• You will start hearing frizz sounds which means that the chemical reaction has been started.
• After 30-40 minutes, pour down hot water into the drain to clear away the residue.
• Repeat the process if required.

Baking Soda + Lemon Juice

Lemon is famous for its properties to cut down grease like vinegar. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is also a cleaning compound. Both these ingredients are easily available in the kitchen of every household and you can also get them from the local home store. Steps are given below to make the DIY cleaner with lemon and baking soda.

• Take ½ cup of baking soda.
• Take ½ cup of lemon.
• Take a pot and boil some water in it.
• Remove the drain cover.
• Pour this mixture inside the drain and place the cover back.
• Let the mixture sit inside the drain for nearly an hour.
• After one hour, remove the drain cover again and pour down boiling water in it.
• The mixture of baking soda and lemon will clear away all the obstructions inside the drain.
• Repeat the process if the clog still remains.

Baking Soda + Salt

Another amazingly effective DIY cleaner can be made with the help of two simple ingredients which are baking soda and salt. Salt has scrubbing properties which will help to scrub down the deposits inside pipes and drains. Take a look at the following steps to make the cleaner.

• Take ½ cup of baking soda.
• Take ½ cup of salt.
• Take a pot and add some water to it.
• Let the water boil till it reaches the boiling point.
• Now pour the baking soda and salt inside the drain.
• Let the mixture rest for about 30-40 minutes.
• Pour down boiling water after 40 minutes to clean the drain completely.
• Repeat the process to achieve desired results.

Baking Soda + Salt + Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar is also known as Potassium bitartrate. In the cooking language, it is named cream of tartar. It is used for baking as well as cleaning purposes. It is found in powdery form. It is readily available in the kitchen of every household or you can get it from any local home store. Let’s take a look at how we can make a cleaner with the help of these ingredients.

• Take 1/2 cup of baking soda.
• Take ½ cup of salt.
• Take 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar powder.
• Mix these ingredients in an air-tight jar.
• Take a pot and boil some water in it.
• Remove the cover of the clogged drain.
• Pour down the mixture of salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar inside the drain.
• Wait for an hour to let this mixture do wonders inside the clogged drain.
• After an hour, pour down boiling water into the drain to clear away any remains.
• After hot water, run tap water to clear anything left behind.
• You can repeat the above steps if you think there is still some clog remaining.

Final Comments

DIY cleaners are very inexpensive and easy to make. They cost you far less as compared to calling a plumber. However, there are times when you have to call a professional drain cleaner for unclogging but you can always give a chance to the above-mentioned cleaners before calling the plumber.