Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing problems that homeowners face. Whether it is because food has been thrown down the drain, hair has built up on your sink or shower, or because there is a natural build-up of grease caused by cooking – clogs are common and can quickly become an issue. Here are some of our tips to try before calling for professional help.
Unclogging Your Drain
The first thing you should do when you have a clogged drain is cut off the water. This makes it easier for you to use a plunger, and it also reduces the risk of potential injury from hot steam or scalding chemicals that may be built up in your pipes.
A few drain clearing methods to try are:
1. Plunging
Just like you would with a backed up toilet, you can attempt to plunge the drain clog. Whether it’s your kitchen sink, or your shower drain, sometimes all a drain needs is a little suction movement from a hand plunger. It’s always wise to keep an extra plunger on hand for drain backups like these.
2. Baking Soda
You can also try pouring baking soda down into the drain before using the plunger; make sure there are no children nearby who could get hurt by accident if they decide to play with this chemical. After most of the clog has been removed, make sure all sources of waste like oils and grease have been wiped clean from areas such as sinks and garbage disposals so that food particles don’t stick around over time; these will quickly create a clog again.
3. Homemade Drain Cleaner
One of the best homemade drain cleaners is made from boiling white vinegar, salt, and baking soda. This will help to break down grease deposits caused by cooking oils so that they are easier for you to clear out. To make this cleaner, put one cup of baking soda into a pot with four cups of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil on your stovetop while stirring occasionally, and then let it all cool off slightly before adding in two cups of vinegar and mixing again. Finally, pour this mixture slowly down your sink or garbage disposal until all clogs have been removed.
Slow Drains
With use and time, drains often create build up ultimately slowing down the drain process. You have most likely experienced this a time or two in your life. If your drains are just running slowly, there is a simple way to fix this! When you have finished using the kitchen sink or shower, simply pour one cup of salt down into it. If you don’t have any table salt on hand, some people choose to use baking soda instead, but be very careful because too much can cause leakage problems in pipes and can damage fixtures.
Next, boil about three quarts of water in another pot (or kettle) set aside for this purpose; once the water is boiling, turn off the heat source, and quickly put the hot water down your drain before turning on the cold water tap only. This will force hot water through your system, which should help move things along better than ever.
Remember, use a natural drain cleaner that is safe for the environment and that can even be used in your septic tank. If you have a stubborn clog that keeps coming back, try using lemon juice to eat away at any build-up or residue from food particles. You can also pour boiling water down into the drain; this will clear out some of the build-ups as well.

How to Prevent Drain Clogs
It’s important to remember not to dump grease down your sink because it builds up over time and creates an easy spot for bacteria and mold growth. When cooking, use old jars to pour extra grease into. Trust us, as a homeowner, you do not want to deal with the consequences of grease damage to your sink drain.
In your shower drain, always have a drain cleaning stick on hand to pull up stubborn hair that collects over time. There is no avoiding the occasional slow shower drain. Especially if you live in a home with long haired individuals. If this is you, try adding a drain cover to help collect any hair before it enters the drain.
Drain Services Near You
After attempting to resolve the issue using the above tips and you are still dealing with a clogged drain in Colorado Springs, call Dan’s Drains & Digs to set up an appointment, we’d be happy to discuss next steps.