Clean Drains Without Chemicals

If you have smelly, slow draining, or completely clogged drains in your Dallas home, you may have used chemical drain cleaners to solve the problem. But chemical drain cleaners usually contain dangerous substances such as lye and acid which can harm you, your pipes and the waste water system. And there are some good all natural alternatives you can use to accomplish the same thing, at a fraction of the cost. Keep in mind it's easier to treat the drains while they are still draining rather than after they are completely clogged.

Prevention:

*Run some hot water after every use to control odors and keep pipes running clean.
*Pour a strong salt and water solution regularly down the drain to keep grease from building up.

For odor control:

*Pour 1 cup of vinegar, lemon juice, or a handful of baking soda into the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then run some hot water.

For slow moving drains:

*sometimes just using a plunger will dislodge the material that is slowing the drain.
*Pour 1 cup baking soda followed by 3 cups of boiling water down the drain. Repeat if needed.

For clogged drains:

*Pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain and allow it to foam for a few minutes. Then flush with 1 gallon of boiling water.

There are also natural living enzyme culture drain cleaners that will eat the organic material. They can be used monthly to keep drains clean as well as septic systems.

**A word of caution about baking soda - Don't use it if you've already used a commercial acid drain cleaner recently, as they will react to each other.