Drains and Plumbing

Never Use a Toilet Plunger After Trying to Clear a Drain with Chemicals

Toilet plungers in themselves are very safe tools. Occasionally, with a cheap, wooden handled plunger, you might get a splinter. But the danger in a bathroom toilet plunger is that when it works, it can send whatever is in the drain splashing out the overflow or up through the second of a double sink. Always have something tightly covering a double sink when you use a plunger, or the pressure will force what's in the pipe out the second skink's drain rather than down the drain.
Obviously, if you've just poured a kettle of boiling water into your drain, you shouldn't try a toilet plunger until the water has definitely grown cool. Never use a plunger if you've already used a commercial chemical drain opener. You may go ahead and use a plunger after having used a non-toxic, microbial drain cleaner like Drainbo brand All-Natural Drain Cleaner! In many drain cleaners, the chemicals are so caustic or acidic that they will blind you if they splash in your eyes: they will causes nasty chemical burns on skin that may keep on burning until medical emergency personnel apply chemical antidotes. Using a plunger is likely to cause whatever is in the drain to splash or spray out of it, and even rubber gloves can be burnt through in no time by a caustic drain cleaner. If you have used a chemical drain opener (such as Liquid Plumber or Drano) and the clog has not budged, it's time to get in a professional. Make sure to tell your plumber that you used the product so he or she can bring safety clothing, goggles and other equipment. Plumbers sometimes use other products such as vinegar, for neutralizing chemical drain liquids, but even this is risky and should be left to professionals

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Natural Drain Cleaner for Clogged Drains

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.

For a more healthy and safe alternative, try a natural drain cleaner, such as Drainbo, that is made from natually occuring bacteria that will fix a clogged drain, but won't hurt your drain pipes or the environment.

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