Gel or Foam Drain Cleaners?

After gathering up all the different drain cleansers at the local super market, I have come to one conclusion, most products are relatively the same with a variance in the delivery system and the main factor is branding and name placement. Most drain cleaners have the same basic ingredients, but depending on the specific type of clog you have one medium may work better than the other. All products do stress however DO NOT USE IN THE TOILET.

There are a few things to know about unclogging your drains. Never use a toilet bowl plunger to unplug the drain, there is a trap deep down in the pipes and if you damage that or dislodge it you can actually bring up dirt and sand back through the pipes, creating an even bigger mess.

Most bathroom clogs consist of hair, sludge from toothpaste, shaving and soap scum. Kitchen sinks generally get clogged up with food debris and grease. When you are getting ready to choose a product keep in mind what kind of clog you are treating.

Gel

Gel is thick and recommended for standing water and hair clogs. It penetrates and dissolves large clumps of "pipe plaque" and coats, attacking clogs longer and keeps pipes clear. Application time for most gel based cleaner ranges from 15 to 30 minutes and with some only requiring the use of half of the container to you may be able to get two applications from one container.

Foam

Foam drain cleaners work on the premise that it is a high alkaline enzyme that surrounds particles as it expands to coat the walls of the drain pipe, hardening around them and dissolving debris, followed by a blast of hot water. Depending on product, clearing times may vary but typically holding times range from 45 min to one hour.

Pricing: Read the label

Pricing mostly has to do with preference and brand name. Some of the popular brand name products are going to be more expensive than the generic knock off brands. If you are a frugal shopper, as many of us are these days, read the label. When you read the label of active ingredients on a brand name product, compare them to the generic or off brand product list of active ingredients. It may be found that you can get the exact same product for a few cents or even a dollars difference. Location is also a factor when considering the price of any product, meaning most chain stores base the price of their products on the average mean income of the demographic of people living in a given area.