Latest news with #draincleaning
The Sun
4 days ago
- General
- The Sun
How to use a 10p cable tie to totally clear out your plug holes WITHOUT any chemicals or touching the gross hair gunk
BLOCKED drains are a homeowner's worst nightmare, but for the most part they're unavoidable. A kitchen sink, for example, has to deal with large amounts of grease and food on a daily basis. 2 Meanwhile, when it comes to a bathroom drain, it has to handle soap suds, grime and hair whenever you shower or take a relaxing bath. But while there are heaps of different products on the market to tackle this problem, sometimes they tend to be pricey - or not work at all. Luckily, one TikToker has shared a nifty 10p solution, which she was allegedly taught by a plumber. The secret remedy? Nothing but a basic cable tie that you can snap up from Screwfix for just 99p for a 100-pack. According to the TikTok user and mum Tsagana, all you need to do is simply grab a pair of scissors and make a few diagonal cuts - these will act like tiny hooks. Once ready, she demonstrated in the now-viral video, hop into the shower or your bathtub and slide the flat tie down the drain. Go in as deep as possible and give the plastic tie a good wiggle to pick up as much gunk as possible. Tsagana, who posts under the username @ tsagana24, then proceeded to pull the tie out - leaving viewers horrified by the chunks of hair and gunk that came out with it. If needed, repeat the process for an extra clean drain. ''Why didn't I know about this genius hack earlier?'' the mother wrote in the caption. I was gutted when scrubbing didn't get my 'stained' blender clean, then remembered a £3.25 spray I had in the cupboard 'Your plumber did not gate keep!' Since being uploaded online, the clip has taken the internet by storm, winning the mum a staggering 8.7million vires. It also has an astronomical 280k likes, 84k shares, with close to 2,000 viewers flooding to comments. The household items you're not cleaning often enough IF you want to ensure your home is squeaky clean, you'll need to listen up. Below are the household items you're forgetting to clean, and how to get them sparkling... Remote Controls: Wipe with a disinfectant cloth. Use a cotton bud for crevices. Light Switches: Wipe with a disinfectant wipe. Use a mild soap solution for tough stains. Door Handles: Clean with an antibacterial spray. Wipe down regularly. Underneath and Behind Appliances: Vacuum or sweep regularly. Mop with a suitable cleaner. Shower Curtains and Liners: Wash in the washing machine. Use a bleach solution for stubborn mildew. Kitchen Sponges and Dishcloths: Microwave damp sponges for one minute. Wash dishcloths in the washing machine. Computer Keyboards and Mice: Use compressed air to remove debris. Wipe with a disinfectant wipe. One said: ''Unscrew the little top hat looking thing! It makes doing this so much easier.'' ''Your plumber did not gate keep!'' another chimed in. However, whilst many were keen to test this hack for themselves. not everyone has the best experience. ''tried it, it broke, now there's plastic stuck deep inside my drain and it's more blocked than before,'' one cleaning fan cried. A fourth chimed in with another nifty solution, writing: ''But, there is this thing called, drain snake. Readily available.
CNET
5 days ago
- General
- CNET
The Shocking Truth About Chemical Drain Cleaners, According to a Plumber
A clogged shower is the pits, especially when you're trying to get clean and find yourself knee-deep in filthy water. You might be tempted to grab a bottle of chemical goo promising "instant clog annihilation," but a plumber we spoke to said to hold your fire. You might be throwing out the pipes with the bathwater, so to speak. To find the best and safest way to send those mystery clogs packing, we called on Erik Gitli, a New York-licensed master plumber and owner of Aladdin Plumbing Corp (yes, he grants plumbing wishes -- but only the reasonable ones). "We're not fans of putting chemicals down the drain," Gitli says. "They may say they're safe, but they've still got enzymes and other scary stuff that can chew away at your pipes." And if that wasn't enough to scare you straight, Gitli adds that chemical clog-busters can be dangerous for plumbers who eventually have to get in there and deal with the mess -- chemicals and all. "Most of the time, they don't even break through the really nasty clogs," he says. Translation: you're pouring money (and possibly your functional pipes) down the drain. What is the best way to unclog a shower drain? Snaking If it is a hairball that is clogging your drain, there is one relatively simple way to try and clear it. The master plumber we spoke to suggests a drain snake over harsh chemicals. Lowe's "Snaking is the way that we clean a good amount of the blockages in showers most of the time, because a lot of the time it is clumped up hair that's not going to get taken out any other way," Gitli says. You can purchase a simple drain snake for as little as $3 or bag a three-pack of plastic snakes for less than $15 A hand-crank snake, which Gitli recommends for homeowners costs around $20. However, if you use these, there is one thing to keep in mind, especially if you live in an apartment building. "In bigger buildings, there are back-to-back bathrooms that could cause a problem if you start snaking," Gitli warns. "You could put a snake down into your tub drain, and it could literally go over into the other apartment and pop up right out of their tub." So, if you do use a snake, stay aware of how far you are putting the snake into the drain to avoid any issues. Plunging Plunging the shower drain is another chemical-free way to get things option for a clogged drain is to try and plunge it. "You're not going to pull anything out when you plunge it, so you could temporarily clear the stoppage if you loosen whatever's in there and it just moves down the line a little bit, but then could eventually clog up again," Gitli says. "So depending on what's clogging it, plunging could help, but it might be only a temporary solution." If snaking the drain and plunging it still doesn't seem to do the trick, your best bet is to contact a local plumber who can discover what is clogging the drain and use stronger tools to get the job done if needed. Read more: This Is Why You Should Never, Ever Pour Grease Down the Drain How to prevent a clogged shower drain A hair catcher will do wonders in keeping your shower drain free of clogs. shingopix/Getty Images Because shower drains have a tendency to get hair build-up, the best thing to use is a hair catcher, Gitli says. There are numerous affordable options to pick from online depending on what you prefer and what size drain you have, and coming from personal experience, this simple solution can save you a lot of time and lower-back pain.
