How to Clean Your Drains

Plumbing, Plumbing Repair

If there’s an unpleasant smell wafting from one of the drains in your home, it’s probably in need of a cleaning. Whether you call a residential plumber or try to clean your drains by yourself, this blog post will guide you through the steps to clean your home’s drains on a budget. If clogged drains are not resolved after trying these methods, we recommend you contact a licensed plumber for a professional drain cleaning.

How to Clean Drains of Contaminants

What You’ll Need:

White Vinegar
Baking Soda
Boiling Water

We recommend pouring ½ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda down your drain before covering it and letting that sit for 15 minutes.

Next, you’ll want to boil some water and have it ready to pour down the drain when the 15 minutes are up. White vinegar and baking soda are known for their cleansing powers and can be a great solution to smelly drains or plumbing clogs. After they do their work, the boiling water clears away any residue or debris. This will help make your drain nice and clean.

How to Clean a Garbage Disposal

What You’ll Need:

Ice
Salt
Lemon Peels

Is there a rotting smell coming from your garbage disposal? If your garbage disposal is backing up it may be another issue, but if it works fine and only smells, it may be coming from food particles stuck on the grinders. Over time, the organic residue and bacteria can develop an odor that makes your garbage disposal smell bad.

You may be able to deodorize your garbage disposal by letting the blades grind up lemon peels, a handful of salt, and a few cups of ice cubes. For budget drain cleaning, this gritty combination will help clean out your garbage disposal so it’ll smell nice and fresh.

How to Remove Clumps from Your Drain

What You’ll Need:

Plunger
Paper Towel

Just like you use a plunger to get rid of clogs in your toilet, you can also use a plunger to remove clogs in bathroom drains or kitchen drains. For sanitary reasons, you’ll want to use a different plunger than the one you use for your toilet.

To get started with this budget drain cleaning method, you’ll need to fill the sink or tub with enough water to completely cover the bottom. Next, you’ll need to place the plunger over the drain and press down to create a seal. Give the plunger a few quick pumps and wait to see if the water drains normally. Sometimes clumps of gunk will come up from your drain, which you’ll want to use a paper towel to remove and throw away.

How to Clear Hair Clogs

What You’ll Need:

Barbed Drain Cleaner

Hair clogs in the shower drain are a common problem, especially if you have several family members with long hair. Thankfully, the solution is relatively simple. A barbed drain cleaning tool is great for clogs near the drain opening and is sold in most supermarkets and home improvement stores.

Simply snake the tool down the drain opening and pull it out. The barbs along the tool will catch hair clogs and pull them out of your sink drain so you can dispose of them. If you notice water filling up at the bottom of your shower, hair is usually the reason and this budget drain cleaning method often helps. Other reasons your drain may be draining slowly could be related to your septic field if you have one or another water removal issue with your main lines.

Need Professional Plumbing Help?

At Parker-Arntz Plumbing & Heating, we know how stressful drain issues can be. Don’t hesitate to contact us online or by phone at (616) 225-9150 for your Belding, Greenville, and Livonia MI plumbing or heating projects.

How to Clean Your Drains

How to Clean Drains of Contaminants

How to Clean a Garbage Disposal

How to Remove Clumps from Your Drain

How to Clear Hair Clogs

Need Professional Plumbing Help?

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