Eco-friendly Drain Unblocking Solutions

When it comes to clearing minor blockages in the sinks and drains around your home, most people automatically reach for a proprietary chemical cleaning product containing bleach and other potentially environmentally harmful products.  However, you can use gentler, eco-friendlier substances to unblock your drains that often work just as well.  Read on to find out more.

Baking soda and white vinegar

A very effective, quick-fix method of shifting blockages in all your internal domestic sink drains can be found in most kitchen cupboards in the form of white vinegar and baking soda. Used in combination, these basic household products make a very good, cheap drain unblocker.

Take a full teacup of baking soda and pour it down the blocked sink.  Follow the baking soda with one teacup-full of white vinegar.  The vinegar and baking soda will react with each other to create a fizzing 'volcano' that effectively bubbles its way through the blockage and shifts it.

Finish the job by sloshing a kettle-full of boiling water down the sink to fully clear the pipework. 

Living enzymes for your kitchen sink

A very popular eco-friendly method of clearing blocked drains involves using living enzymatic drain cleaners.  This treatment is not a quick-fix and needs to be used as a regular monthly treatment in order to be fully effective.  Enzymatic cleaners can be used in all your domestic sinks, although these products are particularly effective in your kitchen sink where scraps of food waste can become lodged in the pipework. 

The treatment works by placing living enzymes into your drainage system where they readily form colonies that will will happily feed on organic matter, effectively reducing the likelihood of blockages. 

You can buy enzymatic drain cleaning products from all good DIY and garden stores.

Preventative measures for your bathroom drains

The drains in your bathroom can quickly become clogged with hair, fatty soap residue, and dead skin.  A good tip to keep them clear is to pour one teacup-full of washing soda into each plughole followed by a kettle-full of boiling water to flush the cleaning agent through.  Dosing your bathroom drains in this way on a weekly basis can help to keep them clear.  

In conclusion

You can keep your sinks clear and your drains flowing smoothly by using these simple, green solutions.  Stubborn blockages will require further investigation and may possibly need professional intervention to sort out the problem.  In the event that your drains won't clear, always have a chat with a reputable, local plumbing company.