Posted 21 hours ago

Unblock sink / shower drain without harsh chems

Blocked sink.

Sometimes Blocked shower.

Don't want to use harsh chemicals any more.

Any environmentally friendly ways to get the same resolution?

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19 h, 11 m ago
Tape up the overflow hole on sink. Shower tray won't have an overflow.
Inch or so of hot water in bath or sink. Get a good rhythm going with a rubber plunger.
The hot water makes the rubber plunger nice and soft and seals well. The hair can be sucked up and you can get hold of it and pull out.

Other way is to use a hosepipe from the outside tap and blast in the plug hole. The force of water will clear it. Hold your hand around the plug hole as you blast with water to stop the back spray. (edited)
21 h, 18 m ago
Prevention is better than cure. Get something that stops the hairs going down in the first place. Remove the trap to unblock it this time (edited)
14 h, 15 m ago
Don't go lite on the plunger. I use one like this:

amazon.co.uk/Lui…RDW

Including handle it's a foot long. Like mentioned above, I hold a wet sponge against the overflow to block it. Also you can squeeze this plunger right down in a few inches of water, then suck upwards fast, this loosens the debris and there's no chance of blowback via the overflow.
2 m ago
Been using one for years as advised by my plumber. Very effective.
20 h, 51 m ago
Try a sink unblocker tool, just be prepared for the smell
Author
19 h, 34 m ago
Mechanical will remove the large pieces, but a chemical solution of some form, will still be necessary to clean away the grime and junk.

So what environmentally friend chemical ways can anyone suggest to clear dirty pipes?
19 h, 30 m ago
bathroom waste blocks are almost always due to hair. Its a yucky job but every so often I clean ours using a home made tool...

Get one of the very large paperclips and unfold it to leave a long wire to hold with just a narrow long hook at one end, feed the hook down the waste and when you pull it back up it will bring all the trapped hair back with it. half a dozen times leaves it running fast and clear again...Grim job though
18 h, 3 m ago
A plumbing snake with brush on the end can clear a good section. About £6-7 on Amazon.
Author
15 h, 20 m ago
Linky?
14 h, 6 m ago
This is what I use. Very effective and a whole lot cheaper than the dedicated products.

groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-…053
1 h, 7 m ago
The same resolution - simply no