Tips to Unclog Drains

Drains usually get clogged over time. It's important to control this situation and know how to get your drains unblocked fast.
Tips to Unclog Drains

Last update: 30 November, 2019

The circulation of water through drains can become a real problem if you don’t maintain them as you should. Drains require constant supervision and observation to avoid problems. Therefore, if you’re interested in learning how to unclog drains, keep reading this article.

Hygiene is a fundamental concept that should predominate in every single aspect of your home. This shouldn’t only be external, though, it should be internal as well. Drains are usually unseen. most of the time they’re hidden under the floor or behind walls. Because of this, they can suffer long-term problems, especially if you use the bathroom a lot.

One of the most common situations is that the sink or shower doesn’t drain well. Another one is when the toilet takes a long time to properly flush all the waste. Believe it or not, these situations can cause health problems. Don’t worry, knowing the state of your drains can avoid them.

Unclog drains using baking soda and vinegar

A white pipeline.

Natural remedies are very efficient and, on top of that, they aren’t harmful to the environment. If you want to unclog drains, both bicarbonate and vinegar will help eliminate waste and ease the internal cleaning process.

We’ll tell how to do it. First off, put water on to boil. Once it has reached its boiling point, you put the baking soda down the sink and then a glass of white vinegar.

Next, you pour the boiling water down the drain. You’ll see that it begins to take effect, foaming and giving off a strong smell. This will destroy the sediments in the drain. Then, just turn on the tap and let the water run freely for 1 minute.

Other effective formulas

Bronze pipelines.

And don’t forget the plunger when talking about tips to unclog drains. Over the years, this tool has often been used for this purpose. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t reach the deepest areas. Therefore, we’re going to show you other methods that guarantee a great result.

  • We all know how useful Coca-Cola can be. It’s a remedy that’s known worldwide and works. Simply pour it in the drain and leave it for five minutes. Then let the water run.
  • Another solution would be to remove the bottom cover of the siphon from the drains (it’s located under the sink). Sediment tends to accumulate there. We recommend placing a bucket underneath since the water can come out very dirty.
  • The brands found in drugstores, such as KH7, WC NET or MELT, can give off a really good result. They’re a safe bet so don’t hesitate to use them.
  • Using professional products. In many plumbing and hardware stores, you can find professional products. However, you must be very careful since some are very toxic.

Tips to unclog drains – A solution for the washer pipe

Water flowing naturally in a washing machine.

It’s true, the washing machine can certainly give us many headaches! Most of the time, problems emerge water escape pipe, to such an extent that there may be some sediment saturation and uncontrolled water outflow.

Something we recommend to avoid this is cleaning the pipe from the outside. In order to do this, you must move the appliance to the side to properly visualize the outlet point. From there, insert a wire to try to get as far in as you can.

If the wire won’t go in far there’s definitely dirt that shouldn’t be there. Push and pull the wire as hard as you can and, once you feel it can’t move anymore, take it out and you’ll see all the dirt it’ll drag along with it.

The best solution? Go to a professional

A plumber attempting to unclog drains.

If your home is in a delicate situation and none of the previous tips work out, it’s best to resort to a professional plumber. Many times, the accumulation of dirt itself and the passage of time can damage drains.

So a specialist should intervene. Sometimes, no matter how much you apply natural or chemical products, the problem may still be there, leading you to have to change the drain itself. 


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Antúnez Soria, Francisco Martín; Mola Morales, Francisco José: Manipulación y ensamblaje de tuberías, IC Editorial, 2018.