How to remove a blockage in the bathroom at home?

Blockage is one of the most common and unpleasant problems in the house. You can know exactly how to remove blockages in the bathroom or other rooms and do constant preventive maintenance. But at one “wonderful” moment something gets into the drain, and the water remains in the sink. It's even worse if you detect a clog by the unpleasant odor of the water. This means that it has eaten deep and has been accumulating somewhere in the depths of the pipes for a long time.

Causes of clogging

• Improper care or lack thereof. If the drain is clogged, you forgot to take care of it. Your pipes require attention, because in any case, sand and grease gradually accumulate in them. If you do not prevent the blockage every few months, it will soon appear, and it will be very difficult to deal with it.
• Grease that gets trapped in the pipe reduces the free space where water can flow. If the layer of dirt, grease and sand is large, then even a small pebble can block the water and lead to an unpleasant clog.
• Bathroom clogs can be caused by long-term use of pipes. Everything, even the highest quality ones, begins to work worse with age, become looser, and growths appear inside them.
• The most unpleasant thing is if the builders laid the pipes incorrectly from the very beginning. If the pipe slope is insufficient, blockages will appear constantly. The only way to stop this is to replace the sewer system.
• The pipe material may also be the reason. If it is made of cast iron, blockages will appear more often.The peculiarities of this metal are such that deposits appear on its walls faster. Plastic pipes will not save you from blockages, but there will be a little less trouble.
• And the most common reason is what in chemistry is called the “human factor”. Even the cleanest pipes will become clogged if rags, construction debris or kitchen waste gets into the drain.

Definition of blockage. Cleaning with baking soda and vinegar

Most often, pipes become clogged in the summer. At this time, people use water much more and may throw it down the drain without thinking. If an unpleasant odor appears near the drain, this is the first sign of a blockage. The most reliable is the speed of water flow. If it has decreased only a little, the problem may be small and the pipe will be easy to clean, but a puddle in the sink indicates that you will have to suffer. If water begins to return through the drain and it is dirty and has a pungent odor, you need to take immediate action.

A good way to unclog a drain and remove clogs is to use baking soda and vinegar. You need to take one glass of these substances. Soda is poured into the pipe first, followed immediately by vinegar. Since the components are acid and alkali, they will react immediately. After this, it is advised to close the drain with a stopper or a rag and leave it for several hours. Afterwards, you need to rinse the pipe with hot water - and the blockage will be gone. If you are wondering what you can do to protect your hands, take any thick gloves that are sold in supermarkets.

Cleaning with boiling water

However, boiling water can help on its own. The reason it's useful is because most clogs are made up of grease. If you melt it, there will be no problem. Heat 3-4 liters of hot water (preferably not in an electric kettle) and pour it into the drain.The result will be even more likely if you use mechanical means like a plunger or brush along with boiling water.

Advice

It is better not to pour boiling water into the pipe if the water is not washed off. Then he simply will not get to the problem area. It is also important to be careful when using the plunger. Hot water may splash on your skin.

Mechanical means will help

If the pipe is clogged and you don’t know what to do, pick up a good old brush that will help you solve the problem with your pipes at home. A wire, plunger or plumbing cable will also be useful. A brush will be useful if the blockage is shallow. Remove the grate and open the drain. Take a brush and push it into the pipe. Using sharp movements back and forth, try to break through the blockage. If it's a little deeper, a flexible metal rod will help. Attach it to the handle of the device and try to push it deeper.

The answer to the question of how to clear a clog in the bathroom has been an ordinary plunger for decades. In order not to break the pipes when you use it, you need to plug the drain in advance and wait until some water fills up. Wait until the water covers the rubber part, and only then open the drain again and press the plunger hemisphere against it. Push the water inside the pipe 10-20 times. It can use pressure to break through the blockage.

The cable is very convenient because it can penetrate meters into the depth of the pipe. It is especially convenient if a drum is attached to it. Then you can gradually push the cable into the pipe by rotating it. It may take time, but it will definitely bring results.

Chemicals

How to unclog a bathroom without special tools? You'll have to use a chemical. It quickly eats away dirt and grease within a few hours.The same "Mole" is quite inexpensive, and one bottle can be enough for a year of cleaning. The only, but unpleasant, drawback of such compositions is that they are harmful to health and pipes. If you use chemicals too often, it will corrode not only deposits, but also the metal itself. Nothing can be done about this, but if the pipe is completely clogged, then you can use a chemical agent. But experts advise not to use it too often.

To break through the blockage, just pour a sufficient amount of product into the drain and wait a few hours.

Prevention

In order not to suffer from an unpleasant odor and not to scrub chemicals off your hands, it is better to think about prevention. Every 2-3 months you need to pour several liters of boiling water into the drain, possibly with soda or vinegar. And then at home you will be able to cope with any problem, and the pipes will not have to be changed too quickly.