A slow or completely clogged drain is one of those household problems that always seems to happen at the worst possible time. Your first instinct might be to grab a bottle of Drano, but depending on what’s causing the blockage, you may be able to clear it with something you already have at home.
Hair, grease, soap buildup, and food debris don’t all respond to the same treatment, so it helps to know what you’re dealing with. Before reaching for a heavy-duty drain cleaner, try these 10 things.
1. A Drain Snake
For bathroom sinks, tubs, and showers, the easiest solution is sometimes to pull the clog out. A small plastic drain snake can reach into the pipe and grab onto hair and other debris that has collected just below the drain.
2. Dish Soap and Hot Water
Grease and oil can cool and collect along the inside of kitchen pipes, eventually slowing water flow. Add a few squirts of grease-cutting dish soap to very hot water and slowly pour it down the drain to help loosen greasy buildup; avoid boiling water if you have PVC pipes.
3. Baking Soda and Vinegar
Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by roughly the same amount of white vinegar. Let the fizzing mixture sit for about an hour, then flush the drain thoroughly with hot water.
4. A Sink Plunger
Plungers aren’t only for toilets—a small cup-style plunger can also help dislodge a sink blockage. Add enough water to cover the plunger’s cup, create a tight seal over the drain, and plunge several times to try to move the clog.
5. Baking Soda, Salt and Cream of Tartar
Mix 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/8 cup cream of tartar, then pour about half of the mixture into the clogged drain. Follow with about 2 cups of hot water, let it sit for roughly an hour, then flush with cool running water.
6. Baking Soda and Lemon Juice
If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice gives you another pantry option for tackling a sluggish drain. Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain, followed by 1/2 cup lemon juice; let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour, and then rinse thoroughly with hot water.
Related: 12 Things You Should Never Do With Baking Soda
7. Salt, Borax and Vinegar
Another combination uses 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup borax, and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Pour the ingredients into the drain, let them work on the buildup, and finish by flushing with hot water.
Related: 14 Surprising Ways to Use Vinegar Around the House
8. An Enzyme-Based Drain Cleaner
If you still want something you can pour down the drain but would rather skip a traditional chemical drain opener, an enzyme- or bacteria-based cleaner is another option. These products are designed to gradually break down organic material such as grease, food, and other buildup, so they’re generally better suited to slow drains and maintenance than an emergency clog.
9. Remove and Clean the P-Trap
Sometimes the clog isn’t deep inside the plumbing at all; it’s sitting inside the curved pipe directly underneath the sink. If you’re comfortable with a basic plumbing job, place a bucket underneath, remove the P-trap, clear out the accumulated debris, and reinstall it securely.
10. Hot Water Alone
For a minor slow drain, plain hot water may be enough to loosen soap residue or light greasy buildup before it turns into a bigger problem. Run or pour hot water slowly down the drain, but again, skip extremely hot or boiling water if your plumbing could be damaged by the temperature.
