Excuse my excitement, but yesterday at exactly 5:41 pm I told our clogged bathtub drain who was boss. I did it all by myself while John was at work (gotta love girl power) and without spending a dime, calling a plumber, OR using chemical drain cleaners like Drain-o or Liquid Plumr. Victory is mine! So we’re gonna share every trick we tried, and what eventually worked best.
We received nearly 200 crowd-sourced techniques on yesterday morning’s post so definitely check those out for more ideas than you’ll know what to do with! We even had some plumbers weigh in with expert advice!
Unclogging Techniques We Tried
Before we turned to our readers for help, we tried several tricks that didn’t dislodge our clog. These techniques are still great things to try and they may be enough to clear less stubborn clogs than ours. They can also work for clogs in kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, and shower drains. But for us, they didn’t make much of a difference.
- Fishing around with our fingers dislodged a decent-sized hairball (or what John affectionately called a Sherr-ball) but didn’t open the floodgates.
- Plunging released a few more items we’d rather not have seen again, but still no change in water level.
- Even our 25 foot-long drain snake (sometimes also called an auger or plumber’s snake) was a waste of time (though we had low expectations for it anyway).
- So then we tried a pot of boiling hot water, which was the trick that had saved our kitchen sink last year. After five attempts we had only succeeded in adding more water to our tub.
- Natural clog removing solution: a half-cup of baking soda followed by a cup of white vinegar. We did that, watched our little drain volcano foam and fizz, let it sit for five minutes, then flushed it with a gallon of boiling water. Still no luck. Even our second attempt provided no relief, just more science project flashbacks.
- I also tried this $3 As Seen On TV quality Zip-It tool referred to us by a friend on Facebook. It didn’t yield anywhere close to the disgusting results shown in this video about it, which we were half grateful for and half frustrated by.
How We Unclogged Our Bathtub
Here are the steps we took that finally clear our bathtub drain. We’re sure some of the obstructions removed above helped, but this was the process that finally got our water draining quickly again!
Step 1: Remove standing water
If there’s any standing water in the tub, use a bucket, towels, or a large sponge to empty the tub as much as possible. I dumped the water into the nearby toilet and it periodically flushed itself- fun!
Step 2: Unscrew the overflow cover
Use a screwdriver to remove the overflow cover under the faucet and pull out the metal coil to inspect it for any hair or junk. Remove any debris. If the coil is clean, like ours, don’t fret. If you don’t have an overflow valve skip to step 4.
Step 3: Plug the overflow
Shove a wet washcloth into the overflow drain opening under the faucet. This will keep any pressure that you’re about to apply to the drain from escaping.
Step 4: Plunge the drain
Use a toilet plunger over the drain and plunge the drain like it’s your job. If your washcloth comes loose, shove it tightly back into the hole to keep the air from escaping. A tight seal is key. If you have a spare person around they can help by holding the washcloth in place to keep the seal nice and tight.
Step 5: Keep Plunging!
After about 40 plunges without progress almost made me give up. But I let the idea of showering in 5″ of stagnant water motivate me to keep going. After a dozen or so more strong plunges, I heard the glorious sound of the drain gurgling. I may or may not have gotten misty-eyed at the sight of the swirling water.
Step 6: Replace the overflow cover
Screw the overflow cover back into place and call all of your friends to brag about your newfound plumbing skills.
Bonus Step: Baking soda + vinegar
This may be overkill, but as a precautionary method to clear any remaining gunk, we repeated the baking soda trick. We poured half a cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar down the drain (we only had apple cider vinegar and it worked like a charm). Let it sit for five minutes and then flush everything down with a gallon of boiling water. This time everything should be whisked right down the drain like a flume ride at an amusement park. It might be the best moment of your life.
And that’s all it took. Zero dollars, zero chemicals, and zero manpower (lady power all the way). We hope you have similar success with these methods. But of course, we still recommend hiring an expert. We had a more complicated bathtub drain issue in one of our other houses and we couldn’t have solved it without a plumber’s help.
How To Prevent Clogs
As accomplished as this process made me feel, I’m in no rush to do ita gain. Here are some precautions we’ll be taking to prevent future bathtub clogs:
- We’ll be adding a mesh drain trap that blocks a lot more hair than our current metal plug
- I’ll be brushing my hair before each shower so more comes out before I step into the tub
- We’ll be using our little baking soda and vinegar science project as maintenance every month from here on out
Additional Clog Removal Ideas
Here are some of the many additional ideas our readers suggested that you can try if none of the tricks above work for you. We didn’t try these ourselves, so we can’t vouch for how well they work.
- Pour a bottle of Dawn dish detergent down the drain and let it sit to break up grease
- Use a wire hanger to fish around for the clog
- Shoot CLR Plumber right into the drain (it’s a can of pressurized air or gas that can blast out the clog)
- Try Drain-o, Thrift, Liquid Plumr, Paqua, or Instant Power Hair Relief products with varying levels of chemicals to dissolve it. Be sure to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Dump Nair into the drain to eat up the hairball
- Pour a two-liter bottle of Coke down the drain so it erodes the clog
- Try the Kleer Drain from Home Depot to blast out the blockage
- Use a drain balloon or along with a garden hose to get things moving again
- Use a drain claw to grab and dislodge debris
- Remove the trap in the basement/crawl space to get rid of the clog & snake the drain from that angle
- Check the vent pipe on the roof to be sure it’s not clogged with debris (air flow helps water flow)
- Ensure that the stopper valve didn’t fall closed deep inside the pipe, thereby blocking the water from draining
- Remove the overflow cover (on the side of the tub under the faucet) and pull out the spring and clean it of any hair/junk
Warnings: We’re not plumbers. These techniques may warrant additional research or professional input before trying. You should also consider the age and condition of your plumbing system before processing. We’ve heard harsh chemicals and solvents can damage newer PVC pipes. Also, if you have tried one of the more chemical fixes above (like Drain-O, Nair, Liquid Plumbr, etc) and eventually do end up calling in a professional, PLEASE tell the plumber which chemicals you’ve already tried to help them avoid nasty chemical burns!
Originally posted: October 29, 2009
Update – Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
Dana Miller says
Haaaa-Laaay-Luuuuu-Yah. You go girl. “Petersik Plumbing” has a nice ring to it.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s true! I better order some business cards stat…
xo,
s
Gord says
Ha ha. This blog entry really entertained me! John, you better be proud of her – what a lady. Congrats!
Amanda says
Like Meredith above, I too learned my lesson about carelessly letting hair flow down the drain. I was forced to remove my own hair ball, and the smell and nastiness was enough to make me be MUCH more careful with my hair. Luckily now I have boy-short hair so it’s not really an issue :-)
Jennifer says
If you have galvanized plumbing -start saving your pennies. Our plumber told us that most houses that have that have to be repiped at some point. Ours is galvanized under our cabinets and then copper throughout the house.
This was a funny post. Way to go, Sherry!
SamiJ says
If you have a wet/dry shop vac, it is very handy to empty clogged sinks/tubs, etc. Just vacuum up the water, super easy.
April in CT says
Yay Sherry!!! Hilarious post and I’m SO feeling your excitement with you. Way to conquer that drain!
I swear I shed hair worse than my dog so I’ve always had to be careful about it going down the drain. For about 10 yrs I’ve used these smaller screens for the tub without fail. For some tubs you do have to take the “innards” for the stopper out so it can sit down in the drain, but I just use a flat stopper for baths (which I never take anyway!). http://www.kitchensupplydirect.com/THU-SLSN002W.html
I even keep one in my travel bag and if I can’t use it when we’re visiting somewhere I do the stick it to the wall trick and HOPE that I don’t forget and leave it for the next person to find. LOL
I will say for a hair clogged drain the Zip-it works amazingly well. I’ll also add how much I love my husband for doing that for me after we first moved here. I think I would have tossed my cookies if I had to do it myself.
Kari says
This is totally plumbing unrelated, but I just thought I’d point out that I never knew Burger was so tiny until I saw the picture of Sherry holding him! I guess it’s all the manly talk over on his blog that leads me to believe he’s an enormous chihuahua?
YoungHouseLove says
He does look crazy tiny in that photo doesn’t he? The funny thing is that at 8 pounds he’s a pretty beefy chihuahua (most are around 6) but we always argue that it’s because he’s tall and long and leggy (not because he’s hitting the nachos too hard).
xo,
s
Tran says
Well done Sherry the plumber! One question: what does the coil that’s attached to the cover do? It is just a weight?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tran,
We think the coil somehow connects to the drain cover at the base of the tub so when you move the lever on the overflow valve it seals off the tub drainage so you can take a bath. Of course ours was disconnected when we moved in so we just use a rubber drain stopper to turn the tub into a bath whenever the urge arises (which is basically never, we’re shower people). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tovah says
You go girl! I hate having a shower in a tub that is filling up with water and then it’s all sloshy around your feet. I didn’t know most of these drain cleaning tricks so next time hopefully I can try some before the calling the plumber. Your blog is amazing–I’m learning so much.
Abbi says
ha! you’re hilarious. I can’t believe I was that entertained by a post about a clogged drain.
Sara says
Will you please share what drain trap you purchase. I’ve only been able to find ones that sit over the top of the drain, and the new house we are in now has a huge drain and the old cover just won’t work. I have long curly hair and I too have to do the whole “Chewbaca on the wall” routine to keep my hair out of the drain. I know I can’t keep it all from going down the drain, but when I have a ton it goes up on the wall and later into the trash. Eww that sounds gross but it works.
YoungHouseLove says
Sure thing! We got a hot tip that there’s a nice Oxo one that should work for our tub so we’ll keep you posted. We might actually update this post and the comments on this post with that info (instead of writing up a whole post about our new drain trap- hehe) so feel free to check back in a week or two to see where we land.
xo,
s
Meredith says
Thanks for adding that PSA!
I bet it feels awesome to be able to take a shower as normal!
Val says
Huzzah! Nice work!
An el-cheapo drain trap from the drug store probably saved my marriage as well as my plumbing…
Tarryn says
That was such an entertaining post! Kicked of my Friday morning well. You could really appreciate the enthusiasm and sense of achievement all the way!
My boyfriend and I moved into our house about 5 months ago and one of the first things we had to do was unclog a bathroom sink, (I say “we” meaning “he”, maybe if it had been our mess clogging the sink, I would’ve considered helping…maybe).
But I like the idea of a monthly vinegar/baking soda maintenance session, thanks!
Jacci says
Well, woo to the hoo, too! :) Rock out, girl.
Lisa says
Poor Burger looks like he thinks he might be getting a bath.. :)
Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish says
This was TOOO funny! Congrats on your triumph!!!
Jules says
Way to go! Unfortunately, we have to call the plumber out twice a year (every June and November–he was just out this week, actually) thanks to a large tree and subsequent roots getting in our main line. It’s a pain, but the tree is worth it. Oh, and it’s a city tree so it’s probably not going anywhere.
Erin D. says
I am definately coming here for the entertainment, as well as the home improvement. This stuff is just plain laugh-out-loud funny. I will continue to be back each day. It’s better than television.
Rachel says
My favorite thing about this post is how terrified your dog looks.
Sara says
I also have a 50’s house with original plumbing. Tried the baking soda and vinegar concoction and it worked, but I still having some plunging and snaking to do. I boiled the water in my teapot to make it easier to pour directly down the drain.
Jenni says
That is genius! I am definitely burying this little diy into my arsenal of home repair! :)
Tiffany S. says
I don’t think you’re giving enough credit to the smack talk. I think that really greased the wheel for the extreme-plunging! Way to go!
I’m so grateful for all the vinegar and baking soda suggestions. We have 50 year-old pipes with lots of rust and I’m going to start paying more attention to them.
(But I have to admit that the whole hair-on-the-wall thing is making me throw up in my mouth a little)
Sarah says
This really works! I’ve tried everything for a similar bathtub clog . . . natural remedies, chemicals, you name it and we’ve tried it. Just yesterday I tried it and was overjoyed when it worked. Who knew plumbing could be so much fun!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
Wahoo! So glad it worked for you too. Power to the plumbers!
xo,
s
beth says
That’s how my husband unclogs drains! It works like a charm every time. And doesn’t cost any $$$$. Well, unless you don’t have a plunger, you’d have to pick one up. But who doesn’t have one of those? Glad you got rid of that clog and your drain is back to normal. :)
CaraStarr says
Way to go Sherry! Girls ROCK!
Katherine says
We (and by “we,” I mean my husband) used your method in our shower drain in our 1948 Near West End house, and it totally worked! Thanks for this. No more nasty Drano!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katherine,
That’s awesome! It’s so good to hear that it also worked for you guys. We’re beaming over here.
xo,
s
kelly says
Just wanted to let you know we had the same problem over the weekend (it was BAD!) and your methods really helped us! We had the same euphoric feeling when the water finally shot down the drain w/no problem. Best feeling ever!! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kelly,
That’s so great to hear! I’m doing a victory dance in your honor!
xo,
s
Eleanor says
oh man, I had the exact same problem you did and did the exact same thing!!
Dude it’s crazy, it’s like I shed like my dog and I have a mesh/strainer thing for my bathtub too LOL
Just make sure you brush your hair thoroughly before the shower because even if you do brush it, there’s still enough that fall out during the shower to clog a drain x]
Way to go girl :)
Emi says
For under $5.00, you can get a “hair catcher” for your tub so that you can catch about 90% of the hairs that could potentially fall down the drain.
http://www.amazon.com/Sinkware-5061-Stainless-Steel-Bathtub-Strainer/dp/B000196BJ4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1260159174&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/Bathing-Drain-Strainer-Catches-Hair/dp/B001RML9QE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1260159174&sr=1-7
We use the mesh strainer in our tub when we take showers, and pop the regular drain plug in if taking baths. It’s a little bit of work, but there have been no bathtub clogs since!
Paul says
Thanks for the tip. I’ve tried everything and your tip finally solved my problem. Too bad I didn’t read your blog before buying a drain snake and getting it caught on the overflow coil. Both are damaged, but at least my shower drain is clog free.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Paul,
So glad to hear that it worked. We know how great it feels when you finally get to tell that clog who’s boss!
xo,
s
Allison says
I had such high hopes for our clogged bathtub drain after reading your entry, Sherry, but all the smack talk, hard core plunging, baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water did not do the trick!!! I even tried duck-taping the cloth over the overflow. Products like draino have never really worked and this was a natural fix that I was counting on…. Though the fact that when I stuck a hanger down the drain and it would not go any deeper than 1 inch, has me a bit perplexed…and wondering how water is even going down the drain at all! Yeesh. Thanks for letting me vent! BTW I love the new tile in your bathroom remodel!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man so sorry it didn’t work out for ya, but good for you for giving it the ol’ college try! We’re sending lots of drain unplugging vibes your way. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sarah Alsey says
Thank you so much for the post! You gave me confidence that I could unclog the bathtub without my husband’s assistance, and without the use of harsh chemicals. I’m about to finish (waiting for the water to boil), and I’m already proud as a peacock about my work. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great job! So glad we could help.
xo,
s
Ms. Amy says
Holy Sherry, Mother of Awesome! It worked! We live in a rental house with “new”, but wonky bathroom plumbing. The shower drain has always been slow, but it was worse than normal yesterday, so I poured in a bottle of our go-to drain unclogger with no results. After it took 3 hours to drain from my hub’s am shower, I plunged in frustration, then I looked up your fix-it suggestions. The baking soda & vinegar must have done the trick because it works better than ever now. Thank you SO much.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! So glad it worked. We’re doing the victory dance in your honor.
xo,
s
Terri says
This was a dream come true!!!! I have put this off for several weeks now, trying every other option under the sun….short of calling the plumber. Today, after my workout in which I was feeling quite tough, I went in and yelled at that drain! Then, I went and got all the necessary tools. I plunged. And plunged. And plunged. And thought, “This doesn’t work.” Lo and behold, if you stick with it, IT REALLY WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously thought I was a total bad ass!
I love your blog, but I love it oh so much more today! You guys rock! xo
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet. It never gets old to hear that this method worked for someone else- probably because it brings back the memory of my own sweet victory. Congrats!
xo,
s
nena says
i am 13 and i was babysitting my sisters…the tub was clogged so i went on the internet i came acrossurs and it actually worked thanx =]
YoungHouseLove says
So glad it worked!
xo,
s
Jeanette says
i think theres a baby wash cloth. any suggestions? already tried snake….no help. co2 blast?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, you’ll want something to retrieve the washcloth instead of pushing it deeper, so a snake or a blast of air might be bad since they apply pressure to move the cloth deeper into the pipe. The plunger would suck it back out if you could get it to work, but since that has been unsuccessful you might want to try using a wire coat hanger (unbent to create a hook) to try to fish it out. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jeanette says
ive tried plunging, snake, coat hanger wires, hot water. grr lol this is fustrating. i asked my hubby about co2 blast and yeah i think it might just bust our pipes so im thinking we’ll call a plumber. :sigh: it has to get done! :) i think it might be to far for us to get it back. ill try one more time with the plunging and coat hanger but if it doesnt work plumber your on speed dial! keep you posted.
Amanda says
Curious, did you ever find a drain plug that has a better mesh screen to block the hair from ever getting down there? We’re having this issue too… just pulled a bunch out (gross!), but would love to prevent the issue in the future and I’m interested if you ever made the switch to something different to plug up the tub.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
Yup, we grabbed a simple mesh drain “hat” (it looks like an upside-down hat) that we slip over the drain hole and it catches nearly everything. Found it at Home Depot. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Barbara says
Ack, I’ve been working on this exact problem for two weeks now! Usually, the water would eventually drain out, and I’d try plunging, snaking, vinegar and baking-soda’ing, One Second Plumber’ing, Liquid Plummer Pro’ing til I was blue in the face (and quite possibly crying as my arms turned to jelly from ten thousand plunges while the drain remained plugged. Now, the water is just standing there – yes, the water I had to stand in to take a shower. Having read your uplifting account, I’ll try the plunger and boiling water thing again tomorrow – AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, THIS CLOG WILL NOT WIN! (yelled while weakly raising defiant fist in air)
Barbara says
Quick additional question – for anyone who has used the air-blast clog busters:
I did try with one (several times), making sure to cover the overflow holes. Each time, no matter how I tried to have the canister covering the drain hole, water and gook sprayed up into my face as I compressed it. Is there any way to avoid this? It’s fairly high up on the disgustingness meter, which frankly I wouldn’t have minded if it had actually cleared the clog. But it didn’t. *sigh*
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck Barbara! We’ve never tried an air-blast clogger but we hope someone weighs in advice for you if they have!
xo,
s
Barbara says
It still won’t clear!!! At what point can I curl up sobbing on bathroom floor?
*sigh*
Meanwhile, I just have to tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site! I stumbled on it about a year ago, and you have inspired more diy makeovers, decorating ideas, and general enthusiasm than you can shake a plunger at. You guys are simply fantastic! Thank you SO much for being here and doing what you do. You are responsible for a whole lot of giddy weekend warriors. Add in the cutest doe-eyed puppy and baby girl, and you’ve got yourselves a huge hit.
Never stop please!
(with love from Canada)
ps – I just figured out that the heavy-duty plunger I was using now has a huge crack in the top of the black rubber, thereby reducing the fwooshing power, so I’ll nab a new one and get back in the trenches/sewers tomorrow. *fingers crossed*
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that could totally be the key! Good luck!
xo,
s
Barbara says
Just had to pop back over here and add my method to the list, in case anyone else has the same sort of uber-stubborn clog.
This really might only apply to those with super-hard water – I think that was the reason this thing was so stubborn. After trying all of the usual methods (mentioned above), I actually had a bit of a cry and ended up taking baths in the other bathroom for a few days. Missing showers was enough to renew my anger though, and I found myself back at the scene of the crime, this time with a “One of us is leaving here, and it’s not going to be me!” attitude.
After one last seriously frustrating (and futile) bout of plunging with the new plunger, I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to pull out the big guns – ie, I poured an entire (small) bottle of CLR down the drain – it was literally the only thing I hadn’t tried. And I’m not talking about the new CLR Septic thing – I mean straight CLR, the old original standby for removing lime/calcium buildup. It was just enough to come peeking back up into the tub, so I knew the clog was still there, lurking a few feet in. I let it sit for a good two hours, and it slowly disappeared. Then, I ran straight hot water, fingers crossed that it would miraculously flow out. It did not.
Fine. You want to play that way? Bring it.
I got the shop vac from the garage, attached the wet filter sponge thing, inserted the hose into the drain, turned it on, and sucked everything back out. Lo and behold, TONS of lime and calcium came out, so much that I had to poke into the drain a few times to break it up in order to get it into small enough bits to suck it out. Again, I ran straight hot water, hoping for what seemed like the thousandth time that it would not back up into the tub. But it did. *small whimper*
So the lime/calcium thing wasn’t the entire problem. Several more times, I ran hot water in til it came back up, then sucked it out with the shop vac, hoping something resembling a clog-like alien would emerge as I did (yeah, you bet I was scared), but it was pretty much just water each time (after the initial lime/calcium removal). Feeling in my gut that I was on the right track, I then poured an entire 2nd bottle of CLR into the drain. (ugh, I know, but desperate times apparently sometimes call for chemicals) This time, I only waited ten minutes, then cranked on the hot water and held my breath. And then, I heard what to me sounded like a choir of angels as the water happily, freely, beautifully gurgled out of the tub, and straight down the drain! IT WORKED!!!
No words. The next few minutes seemed like a blur as I continued to run hot water, staring with hesitant glee as it ran out. IT RAN OUT! It was a good day. A very good day.
Bottom line – I think with hard water, the sides of the pipes get gunked up pretty quickly, and much like our blood vessels, once buildup is there, other stuff attaches really easily. A clog of regular shower stuff gathered over time, and then a massive lime/calcium wall on top of that as the water would only flow very slowly at that point (as it eeked around the clog). So my first bottle of CLR busted the wall, and then my second bottle (followed by a rush of hot water) dissolved the gunk clog. Make sense?
Whatever the case, I’m pretty darn proud that I fixed this, sans professional plumber. (I like to think Nate would be impressed, too.) Like you said, Sherry, from now on, I’ll be doing the vinegar/baking-soda maintenance thing. Lesson learned.
Huge thanks again to you Sherry and John for all your info and support here! Very much appreciated!
*hugs*
YoungHouseLove says
So glad you conquered that clog! You go girl.
xo,
s
Angela says
I just wanted to let you know that I had a SUPER HUGE clog in our bath tub recently and couldn’t get it cleared with baking soda and vinegar alone. I didn’t want to use harsh chemicals so we were just sorta “living with it.” BUT THEN! I went to Home Depot for something and at one of the end aisles was a product called “Zip It” or something like that. It was for clearing clogged drains. It’s a long, flexible plastic stick basically with barbs all along the stick. You stick it down the drain and pull out all the nasty stuff clogging your drain. No harsh chemicals needed. I swear I pulled out something from the Ring Part 3. :) Oh and did I mention it only cost $2.45!!! Score! I got it at the Home Depot in Richmond near Glenside and Broad Street.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! We tried one of them to no avail. So glad it worked for you!
xo,
s
Liz says
So, I tried your method because I am soooo over my slow draining tub! My husband was looking at me like I needed institutionalized while I was talking smack to that drain…lol. The sad news is that I turned a slow drain into standing water and finally made a late night trip to the store for a harsh chemical treatment. The worse news is that when I was unscrewing overflow cover, I used a drill and one screw cracked right off. Now what? How can I get that piece of screw out? Any suggestions? I saw the cok a cola solution from your friend, but I can’t “soak” the screw that’s still stuck in the cover?#%^?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
Hmm, we’d hit google and search “screw broke off” or “removing screw fragment.” Good luck!!!
xo,
s
bel says
Never spend your money on drain products again! look at the main ingredients…. chlorine…yup, just go to the dollar store and buy a bottle of bleach. I use this on my drains at least four times a month. Pour bleach, let it sit for a couple minutes, then run the hot water or boil water for a min or so, then plunge(wear glasses and cover any other drain openings) it for any lingering hairballs and gunk…you’ll see a lot less of those the more frequently you do this. *Thanks for the additional tip…baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, all of them.
bel says
oops…four times a YEAR, NOT month! Quarterly…sorry!
Blair says
IN YOUR FACE, CLOG!
I knew being a long-time loyal reader (we’re talking – I’ve been around from the start!) would come in handy!! Our bathtub decided it was tired of draining yesterday, and after staring at the standing water for hours, I thought to myself, “Sherry attacked her drain. Time to look that up.” Husband held the rag in place, I plunged to my heart’s content, and BAM! Woo to the hoo! Thanks, Sherry (and John)!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! So glad! It’s weird how good it feels to tell a clog who’s boss. Haha.
xo,
s
Kate says
I am so grateful for this entry!! Reaching back across the years to say you SAVED me and my husband. We live in a beautiful 1930s townhouse, and every so often the upstairs tub starts draining slowly. We had a plumber snake it once, then bought our own snake. This last time, the snake was no use, and Draino did nothing but rinse back into the tub. So I googled “1930s house clogged tub.” Somehow, this entry came up, and as a longtime reader, I had to see y’all’s take on the subject. I read this, then sent it to my husband and we tried it ASAP. Well, after a few dozen plunges (I told him you said it could take around 40), we heard a gurgle and a bit of debris came up, and the tub started draining cleanly. But I urged him to keep plunging, just to make sure we got it all. He plunged a few dozen more times, and suddenly we saw a flash of white bubble up OUT of the drain. Something solid! It quickly bobbed back down, so he frantically plunged again, and there it was! My husband grabbed it–it was a DOMINO. Some child in 1942 probably shoved it down there, and it’s lived in our pipes ever since. We kept plunging some more, and a bottle cap came up. We plunged for maybe 3 minutes longer, thinking we’d get a diamond ring or the body of Jimmy Hoffa or something–no such luck! But our drain flows like a champ now, all thanks to a blog I’ve been reading for the last 3 years. I’ve put many of your tips into practice, but never had such stellar results. I was worried we were going to have to re-pipe our whole house. THANK YOU YHL. I hope your move is going great, and if you have any issues similar to this in the new house, I hope you will blog about them, because it really does help people. Thank you again.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s awesome Kate! You have no idea how satisfying it is to hear when someone else tells a clog who’s boss. #Imaweirdo
xo
s
Kim says
You just saved my money, relationship, and smelly pits.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so glad!
xo
s