Take care of tough clogs almost instantly with this caustic drain cleaner from Thrift Marketing. Effective for sinks and tubs as well as PVC, metal pipes, septic tanks, and garbage disposals, this drain cleaner is a must-have for any homeowner. A chemical-based cleaner is powerful enough to cut through grease quickly and efficiently, and is one of the more popular ways to eliminate a grease clog. Hot water is required to warm the pipes, dissolve and activate the crystals, before you thoroughly flush the drain after 60 seconds. With very little assistance from me the hose kept pulling itself down the drain until it stopped. While this hose may have a higher learning curve than other cleaners, it'll pretty much last forever. This drain cleaner clears clogs in nearly any drain around your house in just 15 minutes. This Green Gobbler enzymatic cleaner contains a proprietary blend of eco-friendly ingredients that gobbles up toilet paper wads, cotton swabs, hair, lint, grease, and soap scum clogs. Routine cleaning and maintenance help prevent sticky grime and sludge from coating the walls of pipes. To clean it, simply pull the TubShroom out of the drain, and wipe it off. Professionals sometimes use a drain camera and run it through the pipe to inspect the resulting images to determine the clog type. By submitting your email, you agree to our. However, those who left negative reviews said that it didnt work well with bends and that the advertised lengths of the snakes werent accurate. With this drain protector in place, the material doesnt make it down the drain, so cleanup is easy. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. Water goes down with ease. Get the Liquid-Plumr drain cleaner on Amazon and at Target. In this episode, Tom shares a trick to evenly space balusters; Heath shows how to drill holes in studs to run wire; Jenn Largesse builds DIY deck chairs; Richard explains how to deal with a damp basement. If you have older plumbing, consider using an enzymatic cleaner to avoid damaging the pipes. What's Great About It: If you're pressed for time or cash, skip straight to this heavy-duty cleaner to clear even the most stubborn clogs. To determine the clog type, remove the drain cover (if present) and inspect the drain opening with a flashlight.
With the other two types of cleaners, wear gloves and safety goggles to keep them from coming into contact with your body. Pour 1.5 to 2 cups of cleaner into a drain, wait 15 minutes, then flush for 5 minutes with cold water. Be sure the drain cleaner you choose can handle the clog youre trying to tackle. Carolyn Forte brings over 40 years of experience a as consumer products expert to her role as Executive Director of the Home Care and Cleaning Lab. And since this is a commercial-grade formula, you only need to use a couple of teaspoons at a time to completely clear your drain instead of an entire bottle of similar cleaners. Clogs near the opening can be identified as hair, paper, etc. LEARN MORE, 105+ Amazing Gifts for Any Man In Your Life, How to Read the 'Virgin River' Books in Order, BEST COMBINATION CHEMICAL AND ENZYME DRAIN CLEANER, BEST BATHTUB TOOL FOR PREVENTING HAIR CLOGS, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. I didn't want to use harsh chemicals that may shorten the life of my pipes.
It cuts grease and oil like no other cleaner Ive tried. My bathroom sink was not flowing at all. Because of its composition, Bio-Clean is safe to use in toilets. Bio-Clean uses a special combination of naturally-occurring bacteria and enzymes to digest organic waste such as hair, grease, soap scum, paper, food particles and more. The three types of liquid drain cleaners are enzymatic, caustic, and acidic, each suitable for tough clogs in different drain locations and types of pipes and clogs. It can also be used in tubs or showers, though avoid using it in pipes made of corrosion-prone metals like aluminum or galvanized steel. This natural cleaner can get rid of hair clogs and liquefy some paper products. Liquid Heat Gel Industrial Drain Opener, Commercial Line 42 fl. 
Works Best On: Mild, recent clogs and slow-emptying drains. According to the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab experts, the safest first step to clearing any clog is to use the correct plunger based on where a clog is located (sink or toilet). Unclog those slow-draining or stopped-up sinks, toilets and showers ASAP. Get the Drano drain cleaner on Amazon and at Target. The best drain cleaners for grease are often liquid cleaners that can dissolve and dislodge even the toughest clogs without you having to call a plumber. Many different substances can clog a drain; however, hair, soap, grease, fat, and oil are the most common. To help you out in your search, here are some of the best drain cleaners for grease. Septic safe, the XionLab Safer Drain Opener works on hair or grease clogs (but is not ideal for food particles). Sulfuric acid is the key ingredient in this ultra-strength Liquid Fire acidic drain cleaner. Thrift Marketing GIDDS-TY-0400879 Drain Cleaner, Amazing Products Liquid Fire Drain Line Opener, TubShroom Revolutionary Tub Drain Protector, Drano Max Gel Drain Clog Remover and Cleaner, Bio-Clean Drains-Septic Tanks Grease Traps, FlexiSnake Drain Weasel Sink Snake Cleaner, Bio-Clean Drain Drains-Septic Tanks - Grease Traps, 11 Ways to Make the Most of Your Towns Curbside Cleanup Day, The Best Bathtub Cleaners for Your Cleaning Caddy, The Best Drain Hair Catches for Your Shower, 7 Clever Ways to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger, The 8 Easiest Ways to Eliminate Bathroom Odor, Specifically formulated to dissolve hair clogs, Use for sink, shower, or septic system clogs, Safe for PVC, plastic, copper, and older pipes, Not suitable for toilets or garbage disposals, Not designed for toilets or standing water, Safe for septic systems, garbage disposals, and toilets, Specifically formulated for grease traps and septic systems, Thick consistency to help cleaner cling to pipes, Suitable for toilets, garbage disposals, sinks, and floor drains, May erupt violently from drain if poured into hot water, Can be used in kitchen or bathroom drains, Safe for garbage disposals and septic systems, Thick gel formula clings to the interior of pipes, Micro-hooks easily grip hair, grime, and debris. It wont clear a complete blockage, and multiple uses are sometimes necessary to thoroughly clear partially clogged drains. Do not stand in the tub or shower stall when pouring the drain cleaner. This drain cleaner pack comes equipped with five drain snakes in three styles to ensure that it can tackle any drain or clog you might have. Before making a purchase, consider these factors to determine which one is right for your needs. One of the quickest ways to remove a hair clog is with a drain snake. Copyright 2022 This Old House Ventures, LLC. Tradeoffs: While this tool works on most clogs and standard drains, it's a bit of trial and error before you'll be able to tell how effective it is. If youre using an enzymatic drain cleaner or drain snake, you dont need to take any safety precautions. There are three types of formulas used to make liquid or powder drain cleaners. Food, hair, paper, grease, plastic, soap scum, and even household items, such as pet toys, are some of the materials and items that can get stuck in your drains. Instead of a liquid or a gel, this caustic Drano drain cleaner is a foaming solution that expands when poured into the drain. Drain cleaners clear drain clogs without the hassle of calling a plumber. According to the manufacturer, it is septic safe, and based on our experience with other Liquid-Plumr products, we have no reason to think otherwise. Products shown as available are normally stocked but inventory levels cannot be guaranteed, For screen reader problems with this website, please call 1-800-430-3376 or text 38698 (standard carrier rates apply to texts), 31 oz. Some people also use baking soda and vinegar, but these materials will only work on small clogs. Its designed to break down in hot running water, and it doesnt harm porcelain, chrome, plastic, or metal pipes. However, if your drain is totally blocked up, it may be time to bring in the heavy hitters. After doing this 3 times, the clog cleared and now I have a free running French Drain. It lacks any cleaning properties that could efficiently eliminate grease. 
Drain cleaners generally reduce odors because they help clear clogs and eliminate foul-smelling waste from the insides of pipes. Chemical cleaners, in particular, can produce enough heat to melt pipes or crack porcelain toilet bowls if left too long. But if manual methods fail, the best drain cleaner for your clog can save a plumbers fee. Customers who left positive reviews for this cleaner said that it removed large amounts of hair that other cleaners couldnt handle. Some liquid drain cleaners are also designed for use with adrain snake to help deal with the stubborn grease clogs common in kitchen sinks. Carolyn Fort, a consumer products expert, is the executive director of the Home Care & Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees all testing, research and editorial production involving cleaning appliances and products, like vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, detergents and more. This product also can be used in standing water to clear clogs and get the wastewater flowing into the septic system or to the municipal sewer system again. While theyre less toxic than acidic cleaners (and usually odorless), they can burn the skin or irritate the eyes or nose with contact or inhalation, so wear a respirator, safety glasses, skin-covering clothing, and gloves made of a chemical-resistant material like butyl when handling. It takes at least 15 minutes to work. Liquid-Plumr's thick gel was specially made to power through hair clogs that slow sink, tub and shower drains. However, an enzymatic drain cleaner is eco-friendly and suitable for clearing septic systems. The drain cleaning tools and products listed here were selected based on our past evaluations and experiences with the products, company research and favorable online consumer reviews. This product is intended for use in sinks, tubs, and shower drains. Lynn Redmile is a Testing and Product Review Analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she's been evaluating products since 2012. Theyre best at removing food, grease, and soap scum from bathroom sinks, garbage disposals, showers, or tub drainsusually within 30 minutes, although most arent designed for use in toilets since they dont handle paper products as well. We check online reviews of the product and, whenever possible, have it tested by consumers on real at-home clogs. BobVila.com and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. They usually have hooks or brushes along their bodies to capture the hair or other debris thats causing the clog. The ergonomic handles make it easy to rotate the cable down the drain line to break up and clear clogs lodged there. Your first step should always be to plunge the drain or snake it with a drain auger to clear the drain without damaging the pipes. There are few things more annoying than a slow or clogged drain greasy water sitting in your kitchen sink, or soapy water standing in your shower or bathtub is not a pretty sight. Different drain cleaners have different functions. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. However, this method takes about 60 minutes to work. PVC pipes can warp or soften from heat generated by chemical use. With the drain stopper removed, pour the drain cleaner as slowly and steadily as possible into the clogged drain. These cleaners may take a little longer to dissolve caked-on, hardened grease, but they're by far the most eco-friendly. Just pour two ounces (four tablespoons) of the fragrance-free liquid down your drain and leave it to work overnight, flushing with clean water in the morning. When you shave, rinse with hot water to help dissolve the soap residue left behind. Simply run hot water or pour hot water from a pot or kettle into the drain and simultaneously pour the specified amount of drain cleaner into the drain. Cleaners can either be a substance or a stick that you put in your drain. What Fans Say: One reviewer writes, "I bought this soap at the health food store the first time. It can be left to work overnight on grease traps.