DIY How to clean your drain
Shower drains, kitchen and bathroom sink drains can get clogged with hair, food and toothpaste. There are a few options when it comes to do it yourself drain cleaning.
You can use a chemical drain cleaner to eat away whatever is blocking the drain. When you do it yourself, it’s important to be cautious when using drain cleaners. They are full of strong chemicals that can be harmful to your skin and lungs, as well as the environment. Be careful to store any chemical drain cleaning product properly and out of reach of children.
Drains can also be unclogged with mechanical cleaners like a drain auger. Drain augers can reach deep down in your drains to try and dislodge whatever is stuck or blocking the drain. You can find a variety of sizes of drain augers at the DIY hardware store. To avoid causing damage, Roto-Rooter cautions you to not stick anything down your drain that isn’t designed as a drain cleaning tool.
There are some things you can do to prevent your drains from getting clogged like running hot water at least once a week in your sinks. Here’s a quick DIY tip: Make sure you have strainers in your drains to prevent hair and soap from clogging the drains.
Roto-Rooter offers drain cleaning products that prevent organic materials such as fats, grease, soaps, and detergents from building up in your drain and causing clogs. One such product, Pipe Shield®, has an exclusive formula that uses natural bacteria — not harsh chemicals — to liquefy and breakdown deposits that cause clogs, so it’s safe for the environment. You may purchase a gallon of Pipe Shield from your Roto-Rooter service technician to treat your pipes yourself whenever necessary.
If your do it yourself project is unsuccessful and you are unable to unclog your drain, it’s time to call a plumber for help. Contact Roto-Rooter Ventura County at (805) 620-3700 for help with your drain cleaning.
