It's a depressing feeling when something else around the house needs fixing, and it's even more depressing when you don't know what to do about it. A preventative drain cleaning program using a product like Drainbo All-Natural Drain Cleaner would have solved this problem.
But don't despair: clogged drains are relatively simple to fix. There are several options available to the uneasy soul whose sink or shower refuses to let go of its watery burden.
The first thing you need to know before working on a clogged drain is that the drain cleaners you see advertised on TV or on the supermarket shelves are made of dangerous chemicals that will eat through rubber gloves, skin, certain kinds of pipe, wood and anything else they touch. If their fumes are inhaled, they can cause damage to the lungs, nose and mouth. If they are eaten, they will kill, even in small amounts. Even when they are used "properly", they can ruin septic systems, pollute groundwater, and destroy pipes.
The "new, improved" Crystal Drano is a case in point. Unless the directions for use were followed scrupulously, it hit the drain and hardened to the consistency of cement. People who made the mistake of thinking that since the directions called for a certain amount, a lot more would work better found themselves not only with a clogged drain, but with a drain that had to be literally jack-hammered out of the floor and replaced. The crystal Drano not only didn't dissolve clogs: it actually turned to rock.
Used in combination with other substances, such as baking soda, vinegar or household cleaners, drain cleaners can create poisonous gases and explosions. Drain cleaners that Mom used—like Drano or Liquid Plumber—fall into this group of poisonous and dangerous chemicals, which are based on chemicals such as lye, concentrated chlorine bleach and sulfuric acid.
Many people read the labels of these products and shudder, but they buy them anyway because they don't know there are now safe options for opening drains. You don't have to keep dangerous products under your sink anymore!
In the interests of health and safety, let's cover the ways you can rid yourself of clogged or slow-running drains without fearing for the health and safety of your family.
|