How to Unblock a Drain

Ever had to deal with a blocked drain? Not pleasant, is it? If these blockages are left untreated they may lead to further unwanted issues. Fortunately we've got the perfect guide on how to unblock a drain.

The main cause for blocked drains are often:

• Incorrect garbage disposal
• Build up of fats from cooking poured down the kitchen sink
• Thick toilet paper or sanitary products flushed down the toilet that obstruct the u-bend
• Hair clog in shower and bath drains
• Mud, silt, leaves and twigs blocking exterior drains

Top Tips on How to Unblock a Drain

Below are our top tips and product suggestions to help sort your blockage.

Preventing a Blockage

Always be mindful about what you flush down the toilet. In most settings, especially in the UK, toilet drainage systems have been especially formulated to cope with removing human waste and toilet paper. However, other products can lead to the toilet system backing up and overflowing.

Did you know that conventional pads and panty liners are made from up to 90% crude oil plastics and therefore are not compostable or biodegradable?

Businesses need to provide their female staff and customers with a place to dispose of their feminine hygiene waste to adhere to sanitary waste disposal regulations, including:

• The Workplace (Health, Safetey & Welfare) Regulations 1992
• The Water Industries Act 1991
• The Environmental Protection Act 1990

The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulation 1992 recommends that all businesses should ensure all female toilets are provided with an appropriate unit/bin for disposing of sanitary waste.

At home the golden rule about feminine hygiene waste should simply be “bin it don’t flush it”.

Baby wipes are another contender for blockages as they are thicker and don’t break down as effectively as toilet paper does. Again, you are best to dispose of these in the bin.

Cooking Fats

Such bad news if poured down kitchen drains, I’m afraid. These liquids simply cannot be poured down the kitchen sink as they tend to set in the soil pipe, forming a solid blockage. This can often be tough to remove, and food waste and soap can build up behind this obstruction, making the problem even worse.

Cooking fats can can also build up inside the sewer pipework, causing problems for businesses and householders in the local area too. The simplest and most cost-effective fix is boiling hot water if it works. If your clog is too stubborn for this approach, you will need to consider other options.

A plunger may help you plunge away the blockage. However, sometimes you just need a little extra oomph to help you quickly and efficiently clear the grease and fat deposits, keeping your drains free flowing.

HG Kitchen Drain Unblocker will do the trick. This product contains natural enzymes and microbes that 'eat' away the blockage overnight, suitable for removing persistent blockages and as an ongoing treatment to prevent ongoing fat buildup. It is important to note a couple of things here, however:

• Do not rinse the drain unblocker away - it may be tempting to try and help HG Kitchen Drain Unblocker away, but this will prevent the product working correctly. As this product uses enzymes and microbes to 'eat' away the blockage, it must be left to work it's magic as per the product instructions.
• Do not pour other chemicals down the drain once it has been treat with HG Kitchen Drain Unblocker - not only is mixing chemicals and cleaning products dangerous (this can cause unexpected chemical reactions), this can kill the enzymes and microbes that you have just added to the drain, and they will no longer be able to 'eat away the blockage!

Hair Clog

Hair will amass over time and soap remnants, along with body fats and toothpaste, bind hair together making the problem worse. Hot water alone simply cannot shift it. Using sink strainers or drain covers are a really good idea, as they stop hair clogging in your waste systems preventing blockages from occurring in the first place.