Most slow or mildly clogged drains are caused by hair and soap scum in the bathroom, or grease and food debris in the kitchen. These are almost always clearable at home without chemical drain cleaners, which can damage pipes over time and are generally harder on the environment.
Bathroom Drain — Hair Removal
Hair is the number one cause of slow bathroom sink, shower, and bathtub drains:
- Remove the drain stopper — most bathroom sink stoppers have a pivot rod underneath the sink that can be released; shower drains usually have a removable cover held by a screw or snap-in
- Use a drain snake or a plastic hair clog remover tool (a thin plastic strip with barbs, sold at hardware stores for a few dollars) — insert it into the drain and twist to catch hair
- Pull out slowly — the hair clog usually comes out in a mass
- Run hot water to test flow
Baking Soda and Vinegar Flush
For odour and mild build-up in any drain:
- Pour ½ cup of baking soda directly into the drain
- Follow with ½ cup of white vinegar
- Cover the drain opening with a cloth or drain cover for 15–20 minutes — this keeps the fizzing reaction in contact with the build-up
- Flush with a full kettle of boiling water (or the hottest tap water possible if you have plastic pipes)
Kitchen Drain — Grease Build-Up
- Pour boiling water down the kitchen drain weekly — this melts and flushes grease before it solidifies in the pipe
- For existing grease clogs, the baking soda and vinegar method above followed by boiling water is usually effective
- Avoid pouring cooking oil, fats, or grease down the drain — pour cooled fat into a container and dispose of it in the garbage
When to Call a Plumber
- Multiple drains in the home are slow simultaneously — indicates a main line blockage
- Water backs up into another fixture when you drain one (e.g. toilet gurgles when you drain the sink)
- The clog doesn't clear after two attempts with the methods above
- Sewage smell from drains not cleared by the baking soda flush