Thrifty Moms Tips for a Clog Free Drain

I hate to spend money on expensive drain cleaners that have the potential to pollute the environment. I much prefer to stay chemical free whenever possible.

Chemical cleaners contain powerful ingredients that cause serious harm if accidental inhaled or if they touch your eyes or skin. Another thing to keep in mind is that if the chemicals you pour down the drain do not actually break up that clog you will have a chemical mess floating in your sink. You definitely do not want that.

When it comes to unclogging drains, prevention is your first defense. With this in mind you want to make sure that you have a strainer in all of your sinks. Make sure to clean the strainer of hair and debris daily. A little bit of preplanning can go a long way.

Another preventative measure is to make sure that you never pour grease down your sink. The grease will not find it's way down your drains, rather it will find its way into the crevices of your pipes and congeal into a hard wax candle that only a plumber can get out. Not a pretty thing, especially if you were not using strainers and vegetable scraps have found there way down the drain.

Bathroom drains are notorious when it comes to clogging up with an unthinkably disgusting combination of hair and soap scum. Throw in skin oils and we have a combination that could make anyone gag. You will want to invest in a hair trap which can be found at your local hardware store as well as at any big box retailer such as Lowe's or Home Depot. Just remember to clean these out daily right after you use your bathroom.

Now is the time to take a quick survey of your drain plug mechanism. How is it working, does it need to be replaced. Changing it out once every ten years will go a long way toward keeping the drains flowing.

A final preventative method to use is boiling water. Boiling water will break down and flush grease in the kitchen and soap scum in the bathroom. You want to pour a half gallon of boiling water down your drain once a week to keep things running smoothly.

So what do you do if it is already too late for these tips and tricks? You have two chemical free options. Your first step would be to use a plunger to help try to unclog that drain. Plungers are actually very effective when it comes to unclogging fatty kitchen clogs. Your second line of attack would be to use a "snake" otherwise known as a plumber auger. It can reach up to 20 feet down the drain and is great at breaking up greasy clogs and snagging those clumps of hair.

Follow these simple steps and you will not need to call a plumber anytime soon.