There are many people who have had problems with a clogged drain trap. The issue seems to keep coming up over and over again until you realize that there has got to be a way of unclogging your bathroom or shower and kitchen drains. Discover your answer to how to clean drain trap and resolve the issue once and for all.
What is a drain trap?
A drain trap is the S or U shaped pipe that comes down from your bathroom or kitchen drain opening.
What is the purpose of a drain trap?
The purpose of your drain trap is to retain a certain amount of water every time the sink drains. This small amount of water that remains in the drain trap helps to seal the drain and keep dangerous toxins and gases from seeping through and entering your home. These gases can have harmful effects for your family that can be chronic and last for a lifetime.
How to clean a drain trap?
The main drain traps in your home are in the bathroom/shower and the kitchen. This is a step by step guide to clean these drain traps.
Use baking soda and white vinegar
Sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda in your bathroom or kitchen drain trap. Try to get the baking soda inside the drain trap as much as possible. Next, pour a cup of pure white vinegar down your drain. The reaction of the baking soda and vinegar will be quickly observed by the user. Cover your drain with a folded washcloth. This will trap the reactive baking soda and vinegar and keep the mixture inside the drain to clean whatever dirt and debris are inside of your drain. Allow the powerful cleaner to work for 15 to 20 minutes. The bubbling action tells you that the combination is working to clean and degrease your drain. Remove the washcloth and run water down your drain. You should see a noticeable difference in how your water drains in your kitchen and bathroom.
Use a drain cleaner
Flush the drain with hot or boiling water. Pour some of the drain cleaner into the drain and allow it to sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. Pour the other part of the drain cleaner and flush with warm or hot water. Follow the directions on the packaging for optimum results. Close the sink drain and fill the sink halfway with water. This allows the drain cleaner to activate and work in cleaning and degreasing your drain.
Unclog hair using a drain snake
You have had a lot of hair falling into your drain pipes and know that this is the reason your water is constantly getting backed up in your shower. Use a drain snake to reach into the drain and remove unwanted hair. A drain snake is designed to grab the hair and pull it out of the drain instead of pushing it further down into the drain. The design has barbs or some other smaller hook and loop that will catch the hair that has fallen into your drain and caused your clogging problems.
Use a plunger
Run warm or hot water down your drain to loosen any debris or dirt. Place a round plunger around the drain and seal it with your hand pressure. Begin using the up and down motion of the plunger to push the water into the drain pipe and unclog any food or other particles. Use the consistent pressure of the plunger until the clogging issue appears to be resolved.
Call a plumber
If you have tried all of these methods of baking soda and vinegar, using a plunger, trying a drain snake and using a drain cleaner and are still having issues with your drain, your next step probably needs to be to call a plumber. If all methods have been tried to no avail, then do it yourself time should be over until a professional can come and assess your consistent clogging problem.
There may be other things going on with your drainage system that requires going into a main line outside of your home. This requires a professional who can look at your drainage lines outside and inside of your home to determine the source of the problem. You will need to write down the areas where clogging is present and if any hair or other debris that would inhibit the space has fallen into the drain. A plumber may need to take the drain pipe apart to clean it and replace. Having a plumber ensues that the problem is fixed permanently.
A plumber is a last resort for fixing your drain trap in your bathroom or kitchen. While a plumber may be more expensive, the investment may be well worth it if you want to get back to a normal life with your family. With all of the little hands over the drain and all of the dropped items that even you do not know about from your children, it may not be as much of a surprise that your drain pipes are clogged. Have a conversation with your family about dropping things down the pipes to make sue they remain clear.
The best drain pipe cleaners of 2021/2022
There are multiple drain trap cleaners that work well on bathroom and kitchen drains. These include: XIONLAB Safe Drain Opener, Professor Amos Super Fast Drain Cleaner and Drain Opener, Green Gobbler Ultimate Main Drain Opener, Green Gobbler DISSOLVE Liquid Hair Remover, Liquid Plumber Clog Destroyer Plus + Hair Clog Eliminator, Black Diamond GET SERIOUS Grease Trap Treatment, Drain Scrub Powder Enzyme Drain Cleaner, Instant Power Hair and Grease Drain Opener, Thrift Drain Cleaner, Roebic K-87 Soap, Grease and Paper Digester, FlexSnake Drain Weasel Sink Snake, Omont Drain Snake Clog Remover, Vastar Drain Snake Hair Drain Clog Remover and FlexiSnake Drain Millipede Hair Clog Tool.
Learning how to clean a drain trap or a sink trap can mean the difference in taking a shower or bath in clean water, being able to use your sink for meal preparation and washing your hands in the sink. There are many ways to clean your drain trap. Use baking soda and white vinegar, a plunger, or drain cleaners to clean a drain pipe in your home. Call a plumber if all else fails. The sooner your drain trap issue has been cleared up, the sooner you can get back to the normal every day activities that are done around your home. Try each method to see which one works best for your home.
