The Drain Brain

Umbra on unclogging without chemicals 9

Dear Umbra,

How does one unclog a clogged bathtub drain without pouring toxic chemicals directly into the waste stream?

Allie Cat
Boiling Springs, Penn.

Dearest Allie Cat,

I don't believe that's your real name.

But yours is a noble question. Let's get motivated by reviewing a Drano material safety data sheet [PDF], where we find that the product has a hazard rating of "high," that "mixing with other cleaning products may cause toxic gas," and that Drano may cause "chemical burns" to the eye, "moderate skin irritation," or "severe damage to the digestive tract." Alright! We're ready to replace toxicity with elbow grease.

Be kind to your pipes.

First, go to the hardware store and ask for a plumber's snake, or a drain snake. They will sell you a coiled wire inside plastic tubing. Then go to the grocery store and buy white vinegar, baking soda, and a treat for later.

Return home. Put on work clothes, open the window. Pour a slug of baking soda down the drain and chase it with vinegar. See if the drain unclogs. Feel disappointed. Move on to the snake.

The snake has a small knob that controls the coil; unlock it and start pulling the coil out and inching it down the drain. Use the rotating crank at the top to force it farther in, and play with the locking knob to see how it can bolster your shoving and twisting. When you reach an impasse, pull out the snake. With any luck, there will be a revolting rotten mass at the end of it. Pull that off with a rag. Try the soda/vinegar trick again. Stand up and stretch. If the drain is not clear, once more into the breach.

I've put a drain snake all the way down to the "stack" -- the main pipe -- which was about 10 feet away. (If the stack is backed up, all the house drains will show it, and you should call a professional.) I've oft given up hope, but if you stick to it, the snake should work. It's far better than toxic chemicals -- not only for the environment, but for the pipes. (To avoid this workout in the future, be diligent with sieves and perform regular -- some say weekly -- soda/vinegar treatments.)

You will unclog the drain, my friend. When you do, slosh in a bit more vinegar for freshness, wash up, and have that treat. You'll deserve it.

Confidently,
Umbra

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

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  1. Agustin Posted 7:55 am
    25 May 2005

    The Drain BrainAnother method of maintaining clog-free drains is to periodically pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.  You can even use recycled water; everytime I make spaghetti I pick a different drain and after draining the pasta I pour the water down. The water is hot enough to kill most of the bacterial mats that hold the clogs together.

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  2. AmpersandRanch Posted 8:15 am
    25 May 2005

    Drain Brain, alt versionYou're going to have a heck of a time getting a snake down the drain. Not only do many standard drain "crosses" prevent a snake from maneuvering well, if at all, but the pipe has a sharp bend almost immediately after the opening. A better, if slightly more involved, method is to remove the bathtub overflow cover. Remove the cover, stopper linkage, and stopper - it's all connected (often, the stopper has become a bucket for icky muck, which might be the root of your problem). Run the snake in from there instead of the drain, and you may save yourself some unecessary sweating and swearing. I wish I had known that about a year earlier. :)

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  3. Bart Anderson's avatar

    Bart Anderson Posted 12:57 pm
    25 May 2005

    DrainCare?When we had stopped drains, a neighbor suggested DrainCare which apparently works by "enzymatic action."  It seemed to clear our drains.
    You let it sit in the drains for several hours without running water.
    Does anybody have experience with these "enzymatic build-up removers?"
    It's from Enforcer Products (ominous name).  

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  4. Melody K Posted 2:27 pm
    25 May 2005

    The Drain Brain     I have also used a product that I have purchased from an environmentally green store that used 'oxygen bleach and enzymes' to clear blocked drains.  It's called Oxy-Drain (Drain Maintainer & Freshener) & it's made by a company called Natural Choices Home Safe Products, LLC. (http://www.oxyboost.com).  I had hoped that this product is safe for the environment but am not sure.  It did do the trick though.  

        For a more environmentally safe method, I just read that you can pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the clogged drain, and then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar.  Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible) and follow with a gallon of boiling water.  

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  5. gviste Posted 12:02 am
    26 May 2005

    drain cleanI wopuld really like to read your answer, so why the hell do you put it in grey and small. I am sure that I am not the only one that can not read it. I notice that  "post Comment" is written in a good size and a readable color.

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  6. aibonito58 Posted 11:37 am
    31 May 2005

    drain brainI have found the easiest way to unclog bathtub drains is to use the toilet plunger. This works easily, and use it before the tub is totally stopped up. When the tub begins to drain slowly, plunge away, and it will soon gush out.

    Of course, this is much easier than going under the house and disconnecting the pipes and cutting out tree roots that have grown into your drain pipe. I have done that too, and it wasn't fun at all. So I keep plunging as needed (usually soon after my grown children come home to visit.)

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  7. ouzel Posted 11:30 pm
    02 Jun 2005

    tub and lav drains...You all are making too much work out of this. These two drains are usually clogged by hair and lint and the slim that starts to grow on it. Remove the covers, grab a flashlight and use a small piece of wire (coathanger size)with a little hook on the end, or a hemostat, and just reach in and start removing the gunk. Place it on a paper towel that is nearby and throw away. You don't need any chemicals or mixes for these drains....usually. This method does put you close to your gunk, but it does work.

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  8. Ayn Lowry Posted 6:41 am
    08 Jun 2005

    Brain Drain AugmentationThe baking soda/vinegar trick is terrific, but tends to work far better (and make it less likely you will need the snake) if you first plug up the overflow holes you often find in sinks and bathtubs (which also allow air into the drains) and follow the vinegar chaser with a kettle full of boiling water. Just be sure to wait until the fizzing has stopped before pouring the water.

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  9. Mark M Posted 6:31 am
    13 Jun 2005

    The Drain BrainI like to use the outside hose and blast away my troubles.  It has worked very well in the bath tub and laundry sink.

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