The bathroom is one of the most visited places in the house. Constant cleaning causes large amounts of hair and other organic waste to accumulate inside the drain. As a result, a strong blockage forms, and the water does not drain, and in the future an unpleasant odor may appear from the drain. You can unclog your bathroom using simple remedies.
At home, a plunger will help you deal with a clogged blockage in the bathroom. To ensure that there is no air passage, it is necessary to close the upper hole for draining water with a stopper or rag. Vaseline or any greasy cream will help ensure a tighter fit of the plunger to the toilet rim. Then you need to place a plunger on the drain hole and begin to intensively and sharply expel the contaminants to get rid of them.
If using the previous method did not bring any results, then you can proceed as follows. For more effective protection against blockages, it is necessary to fill the bathtub exactly one-third full with water. Using a plunger, pump it into the pipeline and pull it out. The movements should be sharp. It is necessary to continue this procedure until the drain hole in the pipe is completely cleared of contaminants.
Mechanical cleaning using a cable
What to do in a situation where boiling water combined with a plunger cannot clear blockages in the sewer? In this case, the surest way would be a cable. Care should be taken, as this device can easily damage plastic pipes and cause them to leak.
To make a cable yourself, you will need a metal flexible wire. Then one end of the cable must be bent to form a small hook. It will be convenient for them to catch debris stuck in the drain hole and pull it out. As for the second end, a piece of fabric should be tied to it, making a handle.
You need to carefully insert the cable inside the drain pipe and try to push through the accumulated dirt. For better cleaning, you can rotate the device clockwise. Then you need to pull out the cable with the remaining debris.
To completely remove the clog, you need to flush the drain with a strong stream of boiling water from the shower or tap. This method is one of the most effective today. This is what most plumbers use.
Soda for minor blockages
Baking soda combined with baking soda will help you deal with a small clog in the bathtub without a plunger. For this:
- pour 125 mg of each product into the drain hole;
- pour soda and salt with 3 cups of boiling water;
- do not use the bathroom for 7 hours;
- After this time, the drain should be rinsed with hot water.
One of the most popular ways to remove debris from a drain hole with improvised means is to use soda and vinegar. These components react with each other and effectively remove the blockage. For this procedure you will need acetic acid 70% (200 ml) and 3 tbsp. l. soda
Be careful when working with vinegar as it is very easy to get a chemical burn. Soda is poured into the drain and filled with acetic acid. Then you should wait 40-50 minutes and carefully clean the drain with boiling water until the foam from the soda and vinegar disappears completely. It should be remembered that this method will only help destroy organic waste. If the bathtub is clogged and needs to be cleaned of inorganic contaminants, then it is best to use a cable, a plunger, or store-bought products.
Other effective ways
If the bathtub is not too clogged, you can use lemon. To do this, squeeze the juice from three medium-sized citrus fruits into the drain and wait 40-60 minutes. To get more juice, you can first keep the lemons in boiling water. After this, you need to flush the drain with very hot water. Thanks to this method, not only the debris in the bath is eliminated, but also the unpleasant odor.
Video - proven cleaning methods:
You can remove dirt in the drain hole with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a backflow function. The action of this method is based on the use of strong air pressure. Experts do not recommend using this method, as water may get into the vacuum cleaner. If you nevertheless decide to remove the blockage in the bathtub using this method, you should wipe the rim of the drain hole dry. Then attach the vacuum cleaner tube, previously wrapped with a rag, to the drain and turn on the reverse blowing.
What to do if traditional methods do not help?
Chemical products that are sold in hardware stores will help you quickly and effectively get rid of clogged debris. They are designed to remove organic contaminants (hair, pet dander, food debris, etc.). They resort to their help when it is impossible to cope with a clogged bathroom using folk remedies.
In what form is it best to purchase household chemicals? Despite the fact that such drugs are sold in the form of foam, powders, gels and granules, they all have an almost identical composition.
Cleaning clogged sewer pipes in the bathroom with KROT cleaning agent - video:
The following tips will help you clean a heavily dirty pipe:
- it is very important to read the instructions before using chemical clog removers;
- experts recommend choosing solvents in order to remove blockages based on the nature of the pipe (for example, plastic or cast iron);
- Both powder and liquid preparations have the same effectiveness, so it does not matter which type of preparation will be used to clear a severe clog in the bathroom;
- Clogging solvents in liquid form are immediately poured into the drain, and granules or powders are poured out, and then boiling water is poured into them;
- After the drug has run out of time allotted to it by the instructions, you need to thoroughly rinse the drain with a stream of hot water.
It is also very important to use rubber protective gloves when working with such chemicals.
Measures to prevent contamination in the bath
In order to prevent contamination in the sink or bathtub drain, it is necessary to devote time to preventative procedures. Their implementation will not take much time, and the tools that need to be used can be found in every home.
To prevent water pipes from becoming contaminated with waste, and to prevent a situation where water does not drain well, it is necessary to cover the drain holes with special nets for protection. This device will help minimize the entry of food particles and other organic waste into the drain.
- Accumulated debris should be dissolved at least once a month. This applies even to situations where the blockages are not yet too large and water flows freely into the sewer. This procedure will prevent the formation of traffic jams. It can be carried out using products sold in the store (Mole, Tiret Turbo, etc.).
- Regular laundry detergent can replace such chemicals. To prevent blockages, it is necessary to close the drain holes of the bathtub and sink every 4-5 months. After this, pour a handful of powder and add very hot water. After 5 minutes, the plugs must be removed. This method will also help get rid of the unpleasant odor from the drain.
- To prevent blockages from appearing for a long time, you can pour boiling water from a kettle over the drain hole. This procedure should be carried out within 2–3 minutes.
It is also very important to remove any hair caught in the drain after each shower.