Posted 28 October 2015

Cheap but decent drain unblocker

So my sink has become slower and slower to drain in the last few months, it is hair/food accumulation. I went to Tesco and they had only one choice, some posh brand for 4 quid. What is a reliable cheaper alternative? I'm not necessarily after cheapest of the lot that has dodgy chemicals that will bust my pipes, just don't want to pay a premium for a brand for something like this. Cheers
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  1. t4r's avatar
    Drain unblocker solution from pound shops. Pour and leave overnight. Wake up and the jobs done. Minimum effort for a quid.
  2. deleted1385360's avatar
    get your cheap ass to tesco and spend 4 quid, by the time you have used petrol driving around or the cheap one doesn't work as well as you had hoped it would have you will end up buying it anyways
  3. deleted67074's avatar
    Caustic Soda One of the reviewers on there says that Poundland do it too!

    I run the hot tap 'til it's really hot and let it run for a minute, then turn it off. Then I put down some caustic soda followed by a kettle full of boiling water. Make sure you wear rubber gloves and a mask or a tea towel wrapped round your nose/mouth, to protect yourself from the fumes. If that doesn't do the trick, repeat and this time use a cheap plunger to plunge vigorously as soon as you've poured the kettle of boiling water down. That has always worked for me. You should invest in a a couple of plughole guards to stop hair etc getting down in the first place, makes things much easier. Good luck!
  4. kash2013's avatar
    Caustic soda as above or something like one shot drain unblocked will pretty much move any blockage.
  5. matth9999's avatar
    Yep, 99p store also has a choice of dry and liquid (Drain Brite) - says 2 capfuls for maintenance, 4 for blockage (after scooping excess water), but not to leave longer than 10 minutes.
  6. zed2000's avatar
    caustic soda from home bargains im sure its cheaper than a pound good luck .
  7. philphil61's avatar
    Boiling water and soda crystals or other degreaser but this will not clear hair/food accumulation. Remove and clean u-bend/trap and fit plug hole strainer/guard.
  8. deleted843776's avatar
    Yes good old caustic soda will clear grease etc. But as the last guy said it won't shift hair and other solid matter. Time to get your hands dirty I'm afraid.
  9. Rose5's avatar
    I saw quite a few drain unblockers/gel at wilko and pound land the other day.
  10. nomez's avatar
    Could you not undo the U-Bend or Trap and take out the foreign bodies?

    Happened to mine on the weekend, the upstairs trap had a shed loads of hair in, was vile. Cleared it and no problems.
  11. westy125's avatar
    I had to use some drain unblocking pipes, it was a set from Amazon, this broke up most of the solid lumps, I then used the caustic soda to clear the pipes, worked like a dream but expect to get dirty
  12. jamstaruk1972's avatar
    you get what you pay for the cheap £1 are only good for small blockages http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/scotch-corporation-liquid-instant-hair-grease-remover-for-drains---1l-223918

    i only buy this only need a small amount aswell unlike using whole bottles of cheap stuff and it still not working
  13. Bigfootpete's avatar
    One shot - can get it for £5 from your local plumbers merchant - this stuff is lethal, it's literally like acid, it will eat away the chrome on the metal fittings so you need to use a funnel, and use it carefully, it stinks too.
  14. moob's avatar
    Christ, what kinda sink are you putting hair and food down?
  15. deleted631055's avatar
    My wife read somewhere about using hair removing cream to put down the shower plughole as it would break down hairs overnight.

    We tried it and it didn't work.

    We use these type of things now as they trap hair.
    ebay.co.uk/itm…077?
    (edited)
  16. deleted126783's avatar
    How did you get hair and food down the same sink? Gross!
  17. tallpete33's avatar
    Mark2111

    My wife read somewhere about using hair removing cream to put down the … My wife read somewhere about using hair removing cream to put down the shower plughole as it would break down hairs overnight.We tried it and it didn't work.We use these type of things now as they trap hair.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/111698930077?adgroupid=13936810266&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=kwd-124296828546&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-134428-41853-0%252F2%253Fipn%253Dicep%2526icep_id%253D67%2526mtid%253D1673%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D51961433586_563391%2526icep_item_id%253D111698930077%2526itemid%253D111698930077%2526icep_meta_categ_id%253D11700%2526icep_etrs%253DN%2526icep_epid%253D-999%2526icep_ctlg%253D-999%2526icep_cond%253DNew%2526targetid%253D124296828546%2526rlsatarget%253Dkwd-124296828546%2526rpc%253D0.13%2526rpc_upld_id%253D57106%2526device%253Dt%2526icep_msku_flag%253Dn%2526icep_cbt%253Dn%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526loc%253D9045394%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D220881786%2526adgroupid%253D13936810266%2526gclid%253DCj0KEQjw5MGxBRDiuZm2icXX2-sBEiQA619bq3bpFx3J7o2jfW5o6NJC1gzQkHl-U6izhYPdaHYKUBoaAruC8P8HAQ%2526srcrot%253D710-134428-41853-0%2526rvr_id%253D919575556441&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&ff19=0&device=t&chn=ps&campaignid=220881786&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80




    Could you text me that link please X)
  18. landros1's avatar
    There is one with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid in that will work in 10 minutes.
    Be very careful how you use it and follow the instructions .
    Wear gloves and cover immediate area from splashes and do use not on enamel baths.
  19. bibizizi's avatar
    Author
    Hair (beard shaving) is the main problem and it is in the bathroom sink. Food (peas and rice, not so much grease) is for the kitchen sink but that one does not need a fix immediately, especially if same product can not clear both or be used on certain surfaces (the bathroom sink is ceramic/enamel with I believe metal pipes, the kitchen sink is metal with plastic pipes)

    The pipes on the bathroom sink are not exposed, taking apart would be a major task, so need a chemical fix.

    This seems cheapest at 3 for the purpose: http://www.wilko.com/bathroom-cleaning-products/buster-plughole-unblocker-bathroom-300ml/invt/0221884

    Reviews for the Wilko at 1 seem OK: wilko.com/bat…130
  20. deleted126783's avatar
    Boiling water, vinegar and soda crystals and leave overnight

    Flush with more boiling water

    Works every time and costs pennies
  21. deleted299904's avatar
    Sorry to be a partypooper but you shouldn't be using caustic soda and other acids. If a plumber has to be called out to dismantle any plumbing and gets burned by it expect a prosecution and big fine. Just undo trap manually to clean it and use thin plastic ram rods etc..
  22. landros1's avatar
    The drain unblocker I refer to is commercially labeled and a logo indicating skin damage if in contact.
    I have purchased it in several brands from several places.
    It does warn only to be used for 10 minutes and them flushed copiously with water .
    It also warns not to mix small amounts of water with the concentrate.
  23. bibizizi's avatar
    Author
    I used the 1 quid Wilko one. The others were too much money, I didn't want to pay 3 never mind 10 quid before at least trying a cheap option.

    I poured the entire bottle, left overnight and washed with hot water as suggested in directions. I can definitely notice the difference, water now does a vortex when draining and level hardly fills up when using at medium-high rate.

    If I had used the 3 quid brand option it may have made it even better but definitely not 3 times better.

    Job done.
  24. joesmum's avatar
    home bargains do the cillit bang drain unblocker - £2.49, it's £5 in the supermarkets. Haven't used it yet as the 99p stuff my OH bought worked a treat.
  25. deleted227687's avatar
    +1 for caustic soda. Be careful with your skin and eyes though
  26. suezygirl's avatar
    be careful not to leave chemical for too long , i left some overnight and it started to damage the pipes , had leak coming through kitchen ceiling from bathroom and after plumber came , prized off bathside panel and put new pipe and connector etc in place was an expensive lesson to learn. i now use a weekly dose of soda crystals , cost about 70p a bag , and attempt to avoid blockages.
    i think it wasnt helped by using in shower body lotion as coincided with when i was using that ?
  27. landros1's avatar
    There is one with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid in that will work in 10 minutes.
    Be very careful how you use it and follow the instructions exactly.
    Wear gloves and cover immediate area from splashes and do use not on enamel baths or stainless steel.
  28. kramvic's avatar
    Get 1 of these beasts, no chemicals and very powerful.Have used ours this morning.

    amazon.co.uk/Sil…ger
  29. bargainBooze's avatar
    After trying very thing, this worked for me qvcuk.com/Fas…tml
  30. bibizizi's avatar
    Author
    Previous replies said the caustic and acid stuff won't dissolve hair, just grease. I compared the products before buying the 1 quid Wilko solution which specifically mentioned hair. Caustic soda mentioned as degreaser and most acids were aimed for kitchen not bathroom.

    Have those recommending caustic soda actually used it in bathroom sink to clear hair (beard)? That's the problem I have.
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