Keeping your home’s sewer and drain lines working smoothly does not have to involve harsh chemicals. Natural drain cleaners such as Bio-Clean and BioOne remove the buildup in a drain line that eventually turns into an obstruction. Both are made of naturally occurring cultures that go directly into a plumbing or septic system, where the bacteria begin digesting fat, oil, grease and organic waste. Both carry the EPA’s Safer Choice Program certification, which only products made of the safest available ingredients can earn.
Homemade Drain Cleaners for Minor Clogs
For a small clog, several household mixtures will do the job.
- Baking soda and vinegar. Boil 3 to 4 cups of water. Pour one cup each of baking soda and white vinegar into the drain, then follow with the water.
- Hot water and dish soap. This one is for grease in a kitchen drain. Squirt dish soap down the drain and follow it with a pot of boiling water to loosen the grease.
- Salt, borax and vinegar. Mix a quarter cup of salt, a quarter cup of borax and half a cup of vinegar. Pour the mixture down the drain, leave it for about an hour, then rinse it through with hot water.
- Enzyme cleaners. Products such as Bio-Clean and Earthworm use natural enzymes or bacteria to break a clog down. They are gentler on pipes than a chemical cleaner, and they take longer to work.
Use these with care. Overusing them, or reaching for them on a large or persistent clog, can damage a pipe over time. If a clog keeps coming back, the residue deep in the line is what keeps causing it, and clearing that takes professional drain cleaning.
Natural Sewer Line Treatment Products
One of the most common reasons sewer lines fail is tree root intrusion. When a small crack forms in the sewer line, tree roots are drawn to the moisture and nutrients inside the pipe, and eventually the roots obstruct the line.
One of the most effective biological sewer line cleaners is RootX, which kills roots in residential sewer lines, storm pipes and septic systems. A root intrusion left untreated will restrict flow, then block the line completely, and can eventually destroy a sewer or septic system, costing thousands of dollars to repair or replace.
Need help clearing your sewer or drain lines? Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating. We can clear the toughest clogs.
