Our drains often start draining slow because they have a clog in them. If you have people in your house with long hair this may happen quite often. You can clean it yourself inexpensively preventing a costly plumber house call.

Take off the drain cover.

What you need to do is pull off the drain cover. You might be able to just pop it off with a screwdriver or there may be a screw to loosen. If you have a pop up drain this video will show you how to remove it.

Pull out the clog.

Use a drain clog remover tool. You can find them really cheaply on Amazon. We like to use this one or you could use a wire hanger that has been straightened, leaving a tiny hook on the end. Another option would be to use a pair of pliers to pull the hair out if the clog is not too deep. Plastic gloves would probably be a good option and be prepared for a bit of grossness. You probably want to do it several times to get all the gunk out.

Flush the pipes with baking soda and vinegar.

If you would like you can follow it up by dumping in baking soda and vinegar. We use half a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar. Let that sit for about ten minutes and then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. That will help get rid of the soap scum buildup in the pipes. You can repeat this flush again if you feel like it’s necessary.

Your turn.

Open up your shower or sink drain and use a tool or wire hanger to fish out any clogs. Then flush with baking soda and vinegar, followed by boiling water. Don’t forget to take pics and post on social media so you can be entered into the gift card drawing! 

If you would like a printable of this challenge, you can find it here.

Have you missed any of the previous challenges? If so, you can find them here.