Drain cleaners are some of the most concentrated and dangerous cleaning products available to the home consumer. The active ingredients are some combination of bleach, lye and caustic potash. Extra-strength drain cleaners are simply labeled “poison.” Unfortunately, drain cleaners are also really good at dissolving hair, and hair is typically what clogs bathroom sink and tub drains. I wanted to find out if there was a safer and more environmentally friendly way to clean my bathroom drains. My wife has long hair that I’m constantly vacuuming up. None of our bathroom drains has clogged yet, but I figured it was just a matter of time. I wanted to do some preemptive cleaning. First I did some research, to learn about the different types of green cleaners. Here’s what I learned. Home remedy cleaners: The most basic drain cleaner is mixing baking soda and vinegar and pouring it down the drain. The carbon dioxide air bubbles scrub the inside of the pipe, and the expanding air is supposed to push blockages down the pipe.

Bacterial cleaners: Remember how certain probiotics in yogurt are supposed to keep things “running smoothly?” Bacterial cleaners do the same thing in your house pipes. The bacteria and enzymes break down the fats and other gunk. I don’t have personal experience with these cleaners because, while the bacteria like chomping on fat, they don’t break down hair. These live cleaners are good for pipe maintenance, however. Two products I’d check out are Earth Enzymes and  Bac-Out Drain Care. Air Cleaners: If you have a completely stopped drain, a good option could be a compressed air cleaner. These seal around your drain and shoot air into the pipe. The force of the air against the water unclogs the pipe. Two widely available air cleaners are Plumb-Away and CLR Power Plumber. I didn’t have a stopped drain, and I needed something that would remove hair. I found my ideal product in Zip-It. Zip-It is simple and ingenious – it’s a thin and flexible piece of plastic, about 18 inches long.

It has sharp barbs sprouting from the sides every half-inch or so to grab the hair.Where To Purchase Curtain Grommets The best part about Zip-It? Used Furniture Stores Daytona Beach FloridaIt only cost $2.48 at my local Home Depot – less than half the cost of a bottle of Drano.Car A/C Repair In Bakersfield I stuck the Zip-It into my bathroom sink and pulled out … well, it’s pretty obvious. My sinks were actually fairly clean. (To see some really nasty drains, watch this video. I could only make it 1 minute before I started to gag.) After removing the hair, I wanted to make sure all of my drains were really clean. That’s when I turned to to the baking soda and vinegar. First I poured about 1/2 cup of baking soda down each drain.

I followed with 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and quickly shut the drain stopper to keep the reaction from baking up into the sink. I waited 30 minutes, and then I poured half a tea kettle’s worth of boiling water (at least 4 cups) down the each drain to chase the vinegar and baking soda. I now have clean pipes once again. The Zip-It is in the closet, ready to be called into action when needed. And I’m going to ask my wife not to brush her hair over the sink.Mulch and Top Soil Calculator Use this calculator to figure out how much product you need to complete your project. Here at Drano® Clog Talk™, we've enlisted the help of our experts in order to take on the drain-related topics you've always wanted to know more about. Join us as we add new posts on a regular basis. We'll help you solve your drain-care challenges and keep you one step ahead of the plumber. Brought to you by Drano® For more information,call the Drain Expertsat: 1-800-558-5252 Learn More about Our Products

12,540 posts, read 13,794,041 times 27,818 posts, read 27,120,608 times 2,905 posts, read 5,514,305 times 2,289 posts, read 6,393,805 times 13,813 posts, read 38,731,641 times 14,720 posts, read 15,190,421 times i read online that drains have traps to trap water in the pipe and prevent sewage gases from coming back up. so is it normal to see the water in there still?Its a U in the pipe. i also poured some product down there. guy at home depot said it's better than draino or liquid plumber. Wouldnt recomend doing it since it may back up and give you a corrosive on your feet. Cover the overflow with a wet towel, you'll probably need to remove the overflow cover. Then take a plunger and plunge the main drain over and over. You want to be able to apply pressure to the drain line. Sounds like he's describing a shower/bathtub combo which sometimes does have one. As to the plunger. Turn the shower on and plunge the wet drain the same way you'd do a toilet.

The plunger creates an air pocket and pressurises the water the same way it does to a toilet. Originally Posted by mommytotwoi almost didn't make it through that smell and my wife never would have. i just saw the water. father in law says it's normal, due to the "P" trap common in tubs/showers. Originally Posted by f_m i bought the one you can attach a drill to. didn't use it that way though. but might in the future. def a nice feature for only 10 bucks more. thanks everyone else for the tips. will def try the plunger method when i get an old fashioned style plunger. 8,192 posts, read 23,724,630 times I used to average a bad hair clog about every 3 months. Now I use one of these Find Mesh Sink Drain Traps from FAMOUS PLUMBING SUPPLY I have not had a hair clog since I started using it in 2008. You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot and they are not expensive. Originally Posted by Racelady88 i was thinking about this. so i have a standing shower with a square plate.