Green Alternatives for Unclogging Drains
By MarvinWindowsA reader at green-home blog Re-Nest asked the community for some green alternatives to the drain-cleaning chemicals found in Drano. The chemicals tend to work pretty well, but for good reason, some people prefer a gentler, safer or more natural approach. 
The questioner claims to have tried a common earth-friendly approach -- baking soda and vinegar -- to no avail, but many commenters said that combo, along with some boiling-hot water mixed in, often will do the job for simple backed-up drains. That is, mix baking soda and vinegar to get that bubbling effect and follow it with a large quantity -- more than a teapot -- of boiling water. Try repeating once or twice.
A few folks talked about using Earth Enzymes, a natural approach that breaks down solid organic matter that's clogging your pipes, or a product called Drainbo (sounds similar to Drano, but it takes a very different, very earth-friendly approach).
For some clogs, though, nothing -- not even the harsher chemicals -- with break it down. You need to take a more aggressive approach and physically unclog the drain. Your local hardware store will have a variety of tools called snakes, which can wiggle their way through the bends of a drain and force their way through a tough stoppage. And some folks swear by high-power air gun that attempt to literally blast their way through clogs.
Photo courtesy of j botter on Flickr. Originally published on the MLuxe blog.
Did you like this article?
MarvinWindows's blog (26 posts)
Subscribe to this blog
Member since: 04/24/08
About:
Marvin Windows and Doors: --A premier manufacturer of made-to-order wood and clad wood windows and...
...love Maegan
...adding salt may help too.
Add a Comment!