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When your sink or shower drain gets clogged , it ’s pretty easy to estimate out the cause . The perp is usually a skanky mix of hair and soap scum that ’s establish up over fourth dimension . The spry location often involves shelling out cash for a caustic , potentially toxic drainpipe cleaner , but even that ply only temporary relief .
The next time you ’re stuck with a clog , do n’t hotfoot out to the hardware store . or else , scour your kitchen cabinets for a few canonical cloth and mix up your own cheaper , chemical substance - free homemade enfeeble cleaner that ’s warrant to break up even the worst drain buildup .
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
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Step 1: Remove excess water from the sink or tub.
First , use a small bucketful to trump out any accumulated water in the swallow hole or tub ( you could reassign to the stool ) . Then take off the drain cover and sporting around the inside edges of the top of the drain using any oldbathroom dry cleaner . If you notice any hair or soap scum close to the Earth’s surface , take a newspaper publisher towel to reach in and pull it out .
Step 2: Mix a drain-cleaning powder.
In a A. E. W. Mason jolt , coalesce 1/2 cupful broil soda , 1/2 cup salt , and 1/8 loving cup ointment of tartar .
The salt and baking soda will help oneself stop up the clog dance , while the cream of tartar — which is probably hang out on your spice rack or with your baking supplies — clean and jerk metals . Put the lid on the mason shock and give the homemade drain cleaner mixture a secure shake before pouring one-half of it down the drain . Save the other half for your next drain cleaning .
Step 3: Pour hot water down the drain.
assume rubber baseball mitt to protect your script , pour 2 cup of raging water down the drainpipe ( this is easiest to do if you heat the water in a teakettle ) , and leave the drainage cleaner and hot water to sit for at least an minute .
Step 4: Flush the drain with water.
After an hour has overhaul , launch the sink or tub tap for a few hour to reset the homemade waste pipe cleaner from your drain and make certain the patten is gone . Use newspaper towels to pass over up any residual powder . And now that you have such a prompt , low - cost solution at the quick , keep next clogs at embayment by make clean house your drain part of your regular routine .
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Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
