When things go wrong, the best option is to call a professional drain specialist, but in times where you need to try a quick fix first, follow these at-home natural remedies before using store-bought chemicals that can be harsh and cause long-term damage to your pipes.

Six At Home Remedies for Clearing Blocked Drains

1. Boiling Water, Salt and Baking Soda: This combination works best on grease clogs. Add ½ cup of salt, ½ cup of baking soda followed by a kettle of boiling water and let it sit overnight before running the faucet again.

2. Baking Soda and Vinegar: Pour ½ cup of baking soda in followed by ½ cup of vinegar. Let the combination foam for a few minutes and follow up with boiling water.

3. Closet Augur: This is a long tube, often with a hook or bristles at the end and the hope (when used) is it grabs and removes the clog. This is good for shower drains that may be clogged with hair. Be cautious when using this tool though, as professional plumbers warn that you could cause damage to your pipes if not used properly. When in doubt, seek professional help.

4. Plunger: Yes, this handy tool that has saved many from bathroom nightmares, can be used in sinks and bathtubs as well. Add enough water till there is sufficient amount for the plunger to get the best suction and proceed as usual.

5. Pepsi/Coca-Cola: You may have a preference when drinking this soft drink, but either can work for unclogging drains. The phosphoric acid breaks down everything from residue to calcium. Simply add 2 litres of the soft drink at room temperature and wait one hour. Rinse with hot water.

6. Manual: If you are familiar with your piping, there is the option to dislodge the pipe and manually remove the clog. Check with your local professional if you run into any issues or have any questions.

o avoid altogether having to worry about unclogging a drain, there are some precautions you can take with a little weekly maintenance that will keep your pipes open and free of debris.

Weekly Maintenance Tips

•  Cover drains with hair and food catchers. Avoid putting things down your garbage disposal you are not sure will go down, or possibly even break the garbage disposal unit.
•  Run hot water down the drain after each use—hot water washes away any fresh build up, which can be useful in the shower where soaps and hair product can really stick to piping.
•  Add baking soda and hot water regularly to your drains as baking soda is a natural cleaner and helps remove odours. Vinegar also works in this manner.
• As a weekly cleaner, mix 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of table salt and ¼ cup of cream of tartar to keep in a jar. Pour mixture down drains, follow with boiling water then flush with cold.

In a pinch, these methods can get you out of, and keep you out of, messy situations. If you want to skip all the fuss and get it sorted straight away, you’re going to need a professional, call us at any time to make an appointment and get a free quote.

We have seen a lot of things that go wrong when trying to attempt to fix things yourself, which is why we highly recommend calling a drain specialist to deal with any issues, particularly if your drain is blocked or you’ve got a major drain pipe leak.

In most cases, minor plumbing problems are the precursor to a much bigger problem. If you simply ‘fix’ the symptoms, you will not find about the major cause until it is too late.

The result will be damage  to your property, and we guarantee, you do not want to hear about the cost of those bills…

In some cases, whole walls had to be replaced.

But even if you are handy around the house and think to yourself, “Hey, I will risk it just this one time” your drain and sewage system problems can quickly lead to seriously affecting your health. Diseases and serious infections area the result of unsanitary water or leakages in your pipes.

If you are a property owner, please be responsible for the sake of all inhabitants and hire a drain and sewage specialist who knows what he is doing and has years of experience in his work.

Why would you want to risk time and money, when hiring a professional for blocked drains from the beginning is an easy process at Drain Cleaning Gold Coast.

Experience and profession are the keys for a successful repair.

What do we mean by profession?

There are a lot of maintenance plumbers out there. But the problem is, they do not have the necessary training and experience to get to the root cause.

A maintenance contract can help you to reduce costs and make sure your properties sewage system is running well all year. Proactive care about your drain pipes is best practice and reduces bigger problems occurring in the long run.

To figure out if the specialist you called it the right fit, just ask them for a few key questions. If they are happy to answer you, you have found a good drain specialist who thinks about the customer in the first place.

Consider these questions when you hire a professional:

1. Ask them about their license number

A professional will have a drain and sewage license and is happy to give you the information. Check the license number to make sure the company you chose is a professional one. If you feel it is too straightforward to question their expertise, just say you need that information for your homeowner insurance.

2. Ask them if they offer a service warranty

Whenever you buy something big and potentially expensive, you want to make sure it is the right thing to meet your needs.

Maintenance plumbers on the Tweed and Gold Coast who do not offer service warranties should be avoided at all cost. Usually, warranties should be offered for 6 to 12 months.

If you’re not sure that the professional you’ve called is going to meet your needs, simply find another one. At Drain Cleaning Gold Coast, we are happy to provide you with a free quote and answer all your drain issue questions. Simply get in touch with us today.

Sometimes the drain isn´t blocked completely, and you can potentially solve the issue yourself. 

There are many drain cleaning methods. We’ve listed some below. Choose the one that is suitable for your problem.

It’s important to remember that if you have a major issue, such as an overflowing toilet or blocked drainage system, that you should always call a drain professional. This ensures the health and well being of your family is protected.

DIY Options for Cleaning Blocked Drains

Number 1: Remove the drain cover and clean the surface of the drain. Many drains that become clogged will accumulate a block directly under the cover. Things like hair and covers with screws are a potent combination for clogs. Close the cover when you´re finished and make sure all seals fit properly.

Number 2: Some drains have tub stoppers pre-installed. Remove the stopper. Open the drain, clear out any blockages that you can see and close it again. Clean the stopper regularly to avoid this happening again.

Number 3: Use a coat hanger to clear hair clogs from your sink. Straighten the coat hanger out, and then make a hook in the end. You can clean deep clogs in this way. Make sure you don´t push it down though. As this can clog your drain more than it already is.

Number 4: Use a “Drain Claw.” It can be very helpful in cases of hair caused clogs. Simply insert it and work you way around the drain opening. A good drain claw has 100 interlocking hooks, making it easy to get hair out of drains.

Number 5: Make your own DIY hair claw. This solution can become handy when you don´t have tools available. Use plastic tape. Cut a length about 30 inches long and cut tentacles in the end. Use the stickiness of the tape to help life dry hair out of the drain.

Number 6: Use hot water. Okay, admittedly this might seem like a no-brainer. But when your drain is not completely blocked, it can work wonders. We do not recommend using boiling water. It may melt or liquefy any sealants, wax or rubber gaskets used for plumbing fittings or connections. It’s your choice and may depend on the age or strength of your bathroom fittings. If you’re unsure, contact a qualified drain professional to avoid damaging your drain further.

Number 7: Try baking soda with vinegar or lemon juice. Pour it down your sink to clear minor blockages, followed with warm water to rinse.

Number 8: You can purchase inexpensive plumbing snakes in any hardware store. There are manual and electric ones. Plumbing snakes are steeled cables with a spring on the end and a crank on the other. Many drain professionals have the most success with plumbing snakes.

Number 9: Use a plunger. A plunger can be much more effective when you seal any overflowing holes. These holes are often located directly under the stop lever. Seal the holes with a wet cloth. This creates a vacuum. Now fill the sink with water and ‘plunge’ about 10 times until you’ve cleared the pipes. If this doesn’t work, then there is a more serious issue, contact your drain professional for a quick solution..

Number 10: Call a professional drain cleaner. If you have problems solving your drain problems, always call a professional. Problems with your pipes can occur in all areas of your house and some of them are difficult to get to. Don’t take a risk if you’re not sure what you’re doing.

Drain Cleaning Gold Coast are drain professionals with over 10 years of experience clearing blocked drains. Contact us today for a free quote.