Is your water draining painstakingly slow? Or is not draining at all? If so, you may have a clog in your drainage pipe. While there are many products you can buy to try and clear these clogs, this may not be an option if you are short on cash. Here are a few inexpensive clog removing methods that may help to dislodge the clog and get your water flowing freely again.
Hot Water
If you have a clog in your sink, shower, bathtub or toilet, hot water is one of the cheapest things you can use to attempt to free the clog. Hot water can liquefy grease and soap residue stuck in your drainage line, helping to free a clog. For stubborn clogs, squirt a few drops of a grease-fighting dish soap down the drain, followed by a large pot of hot water. Ensure that the water you are using is hot, but not boiling. Boiling water can crack certain types of toilet bowls and older pipes. Continue pouring hot water down the drain as long as you continue to see progress. It may take a few pots of hot water for the clog to fully clear itself.
Wire Hanger
If you have a clog in your shower, sink, bathtub or toilet, a wire hanger may be able to reach in and pull out hair or debris that is causing the clog. Simply straighten out the wire hanger, while leaving a slight hook on the end. Then insert the hooked end into the drain. Reach the hanger down as far as it will go and wiggle it around so it scrapes slightly against the entire pipe wall. Gently pull the hanger out and remove any gunk or hair that is attached to the hook. Repeat this process until nothing is coming up with the hook. Turn on your water and see if it flows. If it does, you have dislodged the clog.
Your Hand and a Plastic Bag
If your toilet is clogged, and you don't have a plunger, you can attempt to unclog it using your hand and a plastic bag. This isn't for the faint of heart, but may be perfect in a jam. Simply wrap your hand in a plastic bag and then make a fist. Gently but quickly begin to stick your hand in and out of the toilet hole. This fast action actually forces water and air down the hole quickly, which can help to break up a clog.
A clog in your drain is one of the most common types of plumbing problems you can experience. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be an expensive one. You can get rid of many clogs inexpensively with hot water, a wire hanger or even your hand wrapped in a plastic bag. However, if these methods don't solve your plumbing problem, you may have a clog that needs professional help, or you may have a more extensive plumbing problem that mimics a clog, such as a broken or collapsed pipe. A plumber can diagnose and fix the problem if you are unable to do so on your own.
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