Blocked drain? Here’s how to unblock it yourself

When you own a home, you also own the responsibility to look after it. Unfortunately, that means it’s down to you to fix things when they go wrong (which they inevitably do).

We recently found a leak that we had no idea about in our en-suite. We never use that en-suite as it’s near our daughter’s bedroom, and only went in there to run the taps to keep the water fresh/moving. Then, bam. Big leak, carpet soaked (who even puts carpet in a bathroom anyway?). Luckily, it hadn’t gone through the ceiling into the rooms below, so it could have been worse. But now it’s left us considering what to do with that bathroom now the leak is fixed.

Our leak was down to a faulty valve on the toilet, but leaks can also be caused by things like blocked drains. Our drains have to cope with a lot, including bits of food and hair and so blockages can occur, which may result in dirty water being brought back into your home. Not ideal!

So how can you clear a blocked drain yourself to get the water moving again? Below, I’ve noted my tried-and-tested methods that have worked for me in the past, and don’t require any plumbing knowledge.

1. Pour boiling water down the drain

It’s always best to start with the quickest and easiest fix, to save you more effort than is potentially needed.

Just boil your kettle and slowly pour the hot water down the drain, going in stages so one lot goes down before you pour some more. This is particularly effective in kitchen sinks when the blockage is potentially caused by grease or soap. Remember, don’t pour cooking oils or fat down the sink, as it will get blocked! Pour them into your bin or food caddy instead.

 

2. Use a plunger

Okay this is one I haven’t tried at home – we don’t actually own a plunger and have never needed to use one?! But I understand why they can be so handy. Essentially they work by creating a bit of a vacuum and suction to clear blockages, and when I worked in a large hotel chain as a housekeeper, plungers were a necessity (oh the glamour).

To use a plunger, cover the opening of the drain completely with its rubber end. Make sure there’s a tight deal and then vigorously pump the handle up and down a few times. This should generate enough suction to dislodge any obstructions.

If the blockage is in a sink or bath, fill them with enough water to cover the rubber end of the plunger.

 

3. Use a drain unblocker solution

If you’ve tried methods one and two with no success, it may be time to use a chemical solution, like a drain unblocker. These products are generally available at most supermarkets or B&M, Home Bargains, etc and don’t really cost a lot, so it’s a great idea to always keep some at home just in case.

The solution is designed in such a way to dissolve any materials that might be causing the blockage. It can be great at dissolving hair and other debris that are difficult or impossible to remove with hot water or a plunger.

The instructions will probably differ depending on the solution you buy, but generally you pour the solution into the clogged drain, allow it to sit for a few minutes and then pour boiling water into the drain and you (hopefully) should find that the water is flowing again. Potentially, combine this method with another to ensure you’ve got the entire blockage.

 

4. Use a drain snake

If a plunger doesn’t work to clear a blockage, a drain snake might. Unlike the plunger, which sits on the surface of the drain, the drain snake can go inside to pull up any blockages, making it exceptionally useful for shower drains that can get clogged with hair.

They’re so easy to use, you just put it into the drain and twist it to wrap the debris around its end and pull up. You’ll probably be amazed at what can be stuck down there!

The snakes are around one metre long, so they might not be effective if the blockage is further into the pipe than this.

 

5. Use baking soda and vinegar

I don’t know what it is about these two materials that make them SO GOOD together. They’re commonly used for cleaning ovens, freshening up your dishwasher, removing stains from grout and deodourising bins, but they can also be combined to unblock your drain at home. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Pour boiling water down the drain first to loosen any debris
Step 2: Add your baking soda to the train, and then add an equal part of vinegar. A reaction will start immediately.
Step 3: Cover the drain to contain the reaction (just with a cloth will do), and let the mixture sit for up to 30 minutes.
Step 4: Pour more boiling water down the drain to clear the debris, and you should see a difference.

Generally, this method won’t work if a drain is completely blocked, to the point where no water is able to drain. You won’t be able to actually pour the baking soda/white vinegar down the drain to fix the problem, so a plunger or drain snake would probably be your best bet.

 

6. Call a plumber

Sometimes, you have to admit defeat. If you’ve tried some of the methods above with no success, a plumber may be necessary to find what the true cause is and unblock it for you. It might be that the blockage isn’t within your home but further down the plumbing system, under the ground outside.

 

So there you have it, my five methods you can try at home to unblock a drain! Let me know if they work for you.