Drain Cleaning Perth is a preventative measure that helps keep your business’s drain lines clear of buildup and clogs. Clogged drains are a serious problem that can lead to water damage and costly repairs.
A few common drain cleaners available at hardware stores can help with clogged pipes. You can also use natural, homemade solutions that are safe for your plumbing.
Baking soda and vinegar sound like the ingredients to a science fair volcano experiment, but they’re also an effective drain cleaning solution. This homemade DIY product can dissolve grease, mineral deposits, and odors to prevent clogs and keep your home’s drains healthy. It is also a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to store-bought chemical drain cleaners.
Before cleaning your drain with baking soda and vinegar, remove any hair, food scraps, or other materials from the drain cover or trap. You should also run hot water through the drain for a minute to help loosen any debris. Then, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. This will start a fizzing reaction with the vinegar and break up any clogs.
Then, slowly pour a cup of vinegar down the drain to create another chemical reaction. The acid in the vinegar will break up any remaining clogs and clean your drain pipes. After the fizzing stops, flush your drain with hot water to wash away any remaining baking soda and vinegar.
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-find, and effective drain cleaning solution that can help you avoid the need for harsh chemicals or professional plumbing services. However, if you have a severe clog that isn’t easily resolved, it may be necessary to call a plumber for professional assistance.
Dish Soap
Unlike most chemical cleaners, which contain sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid, dish soap is safe for all pipes and plumbing fixtures. It is also effective for cleaning most clogs. It is especially good for removing grease. To use this natural drain cleaner, first remove any standing water from the sink or tub using a sink pop-up stopper or tub stopper. Next, squirt in some liquid dish soap and follow with a pot of boiling hot water. The hot water will help to break down the grease and wash it away.
This simple DIY drain cleaner is very effective against most greasy and hair-based clogs. It’s best used in the kitchen drain, but can be used for bathroom drains as well. It’s a great alternative to store-bought chemical formulas that can be toxic to kids and pets.
When choosing a dish soap, look for one that is made with naturally-derived and plant-based ingredients, as well as free from SLS (sulfates), synthetic fragrances, dyes, and other additives. You should also look for a bottle that is both reusable and refillable, to reduce plastic waste. Our favorite organic, eco-friendly dish soap is L’Avant Collective’s eye-catching bottle, which looks beautiful on your counter and comes with a convenient pouch to make refilling even easier. It’s also cruelty-free, and contains no parabens or phthalates.
Chemical Cleaners
Unlike natural cleaners, which clear soil by rubbing or scraping, cleaning chemicals penetrate and break down organic and inorganic surface soils. They also emulsify and dissolve grease and oils and remove dirt from surfaces, such as floors, walls, sinks, bathtubs and toilets. Chemicals are also used to disinfect surfaces to eliminate bacteria and viruses. Many contain quaternary ammonium compounds or hydrogen peroxide to prevent microorganisms from reproducing.
There are two major factors that influence the effectiveness of a cleaning chemical: the type of soil and the surface to be cleaned. Acidic cleansers excel at removing mineral deposits and rust, while alkaline cleaners destroy bacteria and dissolve fats and oils. A neutral cleaner is safe for most surfaces, but may not remove stubborn stains.
It’s important to carefully read all labels, follow manufacturer’s directions and avoid mixing cleaning chemicals. Mixing chemicals can cause surface damage and create dangerous fumes, which are harmful to human skin, eyes and lungs. Strong acids, like sulfuric acid (found in some toilet bowl cleaners) and hydrofluoric acid, can damage metal and glass. Strong alkalis, such as sodium carbonate (washing soda or soda ash), caustic soda, sodium hydroxide or lye, are very damaging to human tissue and will burn skin and damage the lungs when inhaled.
Before using a chemical cleaner, it’s best to remove as much loose soil as possible with a broom, brush or scraper. This will improve the results of the cleaner and prevent it from soaking into porous surfaces, such as wood, stone or vinyl, and causing damage. It’s also important to empty all drains and spouts before starting the cleaning process.
Plumber’s Snake
The plumber’s snake—or drain auger—is a plumbing tool that looks like a long metal pipe cleaner with a coil at the end. When you crank the handle, the snake drills into the pipe and hooks onto or breaks up tough clogs. It’s a quick and effective option to dislodge blockages when liquid drain cleaners haven’t worked. Before using the snake, remove the p-trap (the curved pipe underneath your sink) or overflow drain in the tub to give you access to the entire pipe.
Start by laying out some towels or old rags around the work area to catch any water or debris that might come rushing out of the drain. Next, loosen the screw that holds the cable to the snake’s housing or pull it out if there is no housing. Feed the snake into the drain entrance until you feel resistance. This indicates you have reached the clog or a bend in the pipe.
Slowly crank the handle of the snake to dig into the clog and break it up. When you feel the snake is no longer working, slowly and carefully retract it from the pipe. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when doing so, and don’t use too much force. You could damage your pipes. If the clog has not completely cleared, try repeating the process with a different snake head or using a different drain opening to gain access to the pipe.
