Ideas and hacks for unclogging pipes around the home 

There's nothing worse than hopping in the tub or the shower or turning on your kitchen faucet and looking down only to see you have a clogged drain.  Backed up plumbing can really be a pain,  and cause problems around the home or office. 

Clogged pipes can be a very challenging chore to solve. It is not always as easy to unclog a pipe as you would think. 

What are some ideas to make the job a little easier, and not so expensive?

Here are a few ideas and hacks that may help you unclog pipes before having to call an expensive plumber.

We'll take a quick look at a few ideas for some of the clogs in kitchen or bathroom sinks, and tub and shower drains.

Kitchen Sinks

CLogs in a kitchen sink can be a real problem, especially around the holidays. A typical clog in a kitchen sink is food and grease . 

  For food and grease clogs you can try a few easy to do ideas. Try just a simple cleaner, like Dawn or a nice scented cleaner or  another easy on the environment and safe idea like liquid Citric Acid. These are easier and safer than trying toxic drain openers that contain sodium hydroxide or acids like sulfuric acid. * CAUTION - NEVER MIX liquid drain openers or use different kinds without rinsing out the drain pipes for at least 15 to 20 minutes with water. You can cause an explosion if you mix different kinds of drain openers down in the pipes.

Another idea to try to unclog a kitchen sink clog is to pour just plain hot water down the sink drains. Sometimes hot water may unclog minor grease clogs or the clogs from food residue. Do not pour hot water on top of another chemical you tried before. The hot water may cause a chemical reaction and be dangerous.

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate and vinegar are another way many people have unclogged kitchen sinks. This mixture is all natural. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain and then right after, add the 1/2 cup vinegar. After pouring the mixture in the drain place a dish towel or other cover over the drain and let it sit for about one hour. Then take a pot of hot or even boiling water down the drain. This may help clear the clog. You may have to repeat if the clog persists. Do not use this method if you have already poured other chemical drain openers in to the pipes.

Once the drain has been cleaned, wipe the floor with an effective cleaner. After cleaning, disinfect with a disinfectant agent

Tub and Shower Drains

When you are having to deal with a clog in a bath tub or a shower, the primary cause will be hair. Sometimes you can get lucky and just unscrew a screen in the drain and get it out. You can try a clthes hanger to remove hair further down the pipe or even some needle nose pliers. Usually if you remove the drain screen or stopper and don't see a wad of hair, it may worked its way further down pipes, making for a more difficult clog. While your first inclination may be to pour Drano down the hole and hope for the best, it's wiser to hold of and instead, try a more environmentlly friendly solution first, and try Citric Acid Liquid  or a granular citric acid that you can easily mix with water to make your own. Once your drain has been cleaned, wipe the area with a good hard surface cleaner, then disinfect everything with a disinfectant agent or sanitizer.

Using Enzyme Drain Cleaners 

The enzyme drain cleaners do not contain chemicals. They contain bacteria cultures and concentrated enzymes that react to organic substances. This drain cleaner is designed to be amore long term solution and may not work very well to unclog piples.

Commercial Chemical Drain Cleaners

The commercial drain cleaners may unclog your drain instantly. These chemical drain cleaners contain dangerous and toxic active ingredients that remove blockage. However, it is recommended to be cautious while handling these highly reactive and volatile chemicals. Instead of using these toxic chemicals, try using a more environmentally frienld product like the liquid citric acid.

The Bottom Line 

You can always fall back on the old-fashioned remedies- tips and tricks that your parents or grandparents may have used like vinegar and hot water, Borax, liquid citric acid, and more. Unclogging and cleansing plumbing pipes may seem like an exhausting and complex chore. However, if you maintain a periodic cleansing timetable or schedule, you may not have to worry about clogged bathrooms very often .