Drain Cleaning Home Remedies and Tips for Boston, MA Residents

There are many home remedies and over the counter products that residents of Boston use to clean their drains. The vast majority of these products do not work and some even worsen the problem or can cause damage to your pipes.

Some harsh chemicals can eat away at your pipes if they are plastic and can do extreme damage that could turn a small problem like a clogged drain into a plumbing catastrophe. If chemicals are not flushed thoroughly, they could pool in sections of your pipes and cause damage and erosion over time.

Chemicals in toilets can, over time, damage the porcelain and may result in cracks. This could cause you to have to purchase and install an entirely new toilet. Finally, many chemicals are harmful to the environment if used too frequently and then flushed through the sewer system. The work of our plumbers is guaranteed so, when they finish, you can be sure that your drains are clean without any potential damage to your pipes.
Some homeowners believe they can snake a slow or clogged drain and fix the problem on your own. This may work temporarily on a very small drain problem but most slow or malfunctioning drains need a professional snaking treatment.

Professionally trained and licensed Boston plumbers are also able to use camera-enabled snakes, if necessary, to go deep into your drains and pipes and visually see the cause of the problem, in real time, on a monitor. This will allow them to diagnose the exact cause of the problem and repair it quickly and completely.

How Often Do I Need My Drains Cleaned?

You definitely want professional drain cleaning when you start experiencing any problems. That is the obvious answer. A regular schedule of professional drain cleanings can prevent future slow or clogged drains, bad smells and backups. The frequency of those professional cleanings depends on the frequency of use of your drains and the types of materials that flow through them.

A typical single family homeowner should have a professional come out and thoroughly clean their drains once every 18 months. Extremely large homes may need cleanings once a year. Multifamily and large apartment homes should have annual cleanings and industrial kitchens need to be cleaned at least every three months.

Cleaning drains can be an expensive, messy and time-consuming exercise. When faced with this problem, you may want to consider three points:

1. Many ingredients of commercially-bought chemical drain cleaners are caustic and often have strong fumes.
   Some don’t really do the job of removing the clog. You may want to contribute in your own little way to help an already chemically clogged global environment.
2. Conforming to the regulations of many apartment complexes and management companies may have to be considered. A lot of them don’t allow the use of chemical drain cleaners.
3. Non-chemical drain cleaners like drain cleaning bladders and drain snakes can be very expensive, tricky and dangerous when not used in the proper way.

Pondering on these points may encourage one to exhaust the more natural solutions.

The possibility of chemical contamination is eliminated when natural solutions are sought in unclogging drains. Using baking soda does not harm the environment and removes the risk of exposing children and other people in the home to chemicals.

There are two options if you decide to use this good-old fashioned and reliable drain cleaner:

Option 1
1.Heat 1 cup of vinegar in the microwave . Add this to 1 cup of baking soda before pouring down the drain.
2.Allow 5 minutes to pass and then flush the drain with 2 quarts of hot water.
3.Repeat the method several times as needed. This may be applicable to drains which may not have been cleaned in a long time.
4.This method may be used as a regular maintenance for drains.

Option 2
1.Mix 1 cup of baking soda and ½ cup of salt. Pour down the drain.
2.Allow the mixture to sit in the drain for a few hours, preferably overnight.
3.Flush the drain with 2 cups of boiling water.

This is best done before bed as the drain won’t be used the whole night.

The baking soda alternative for cleaning drains is not only easy on the pocket. Baking soda has been used in the past for a myriad of purposes from disinfecting, cleaning, beauty and deodorizing to others too long to list here.

If these two options fail and for immediate check ups, repairs, quotes, call Plumbers 911 Boston at (855) 550-9911 for service today!