Best Drain Cleaner
The best drain cleaner will depend on what type drain is clogged. It can be of great embarrassment to entertain guests and have one of your drains stop up. Worst then that could be for the toilet to clog up, back up and overflow onto your floor. The overflow water can not only be a big mess to clean up, it can damage your floors.
For a large amount of people the homemade drain cleaner is a great way to keep drains cleaned but also help to keep the environment clean as well. There is a simple recipe that can also help to keep your drains smelling fresh. Place 1 gallon of water in a pot to boil. Place a half lemon in the water. (If you have a used lemon, used it.) While waiting on the water to boil, pour ½ cup of baking soda into drain followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Allow this to foam as you wait on the water to boil, at least several minutes. After discarding the lemon, very carefully pour down the drain that has been treated. It is recommended to do this once a month.
Most of the professional plumbers will suggest that every household keep a few of the drain cleaner tools at your home. One of the most useful that can be used in the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, the tubs and showers and also the toilet is the plunger. The ball type plunger will work better then the more common regular suction plunger. The ball type plunger will create more of the force and pressure to help clear the clog. Keep one of the inexpensive drain strainer in the kitchen sinks to help prevent unwanted items from being rinsed down the drains. Another inexpensive tool is the zip it drain cleaner. This is a handheld tool that you run down the drain to remove or break up the clog.
The drain cleaner snake is also a good tool to have on hand. Some people depend on the chemical drain cleaners. Be careful not the get this on your skin or in your eyes. Some of the chemicals will also discolor the bathroom fixtures, so pour carefully. Do not mix different brands of drain cleaners as this could cause unwanted reactions such as eruptions. If the clog is not removed after you try to treat it, call a professional plumber.