WHY ARE STORE BOUGHT CLEANERS BAD FOR YOUR DRAINS?

The moment you realize your sink is clogged, the toilet is overflowing, or that you’re standing in water while showering is a not so great one. Many people run out to the store and buy some sort of drain cleaner. Sure, this will be a quick fix but might be the starting point for a bigger issue down the road. Most store-bought drain cleaning solutions aren’t so great on your drains, or the rest of your plumbing for that matter.

Drain cleaners are made up of a lot of incredibly harsh ingredients. Sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrate, aluminum, and high strength bleach are some of the top chemicals found in quick fix cleaners. Once you pour your cleaner in the drain, they react together in a way that is supposed to break up the clog. Aluminum and sodium hydroxide do the hot work. These two create heat to a point of near boiling temperature that is supposed to break through whatever pesky stuff is backing up your water. That heat is a lot for your pipes to handle. The heat produced can soften PVC pipes, and can lead to corrosion of older metal pipes. Plus, they aren’t guaranteed to work.

Many times, when someone is still facing a clog even after round one of drain cleaner, they opt for round 2. The clog isn’t allowing the chemicals to pass through, which means they are sitting on top of it in your pipes. Repouring drain cleaner can increase the risk of damage even further. Your pipe could bust from being weakened after the first application. A burst pipe creates its own set of issues but being that there were chemicals sitting in the pipe, it could lead to chemical burns.

Not to mention, the chemicals can be not so great for your household or the environment. Drain cleaners are very harsh and can cause severe irritation if they contact skin or if ingested. Sure, there are some safer options that people can try at home, but they also don’t have a high success rate. Picking up a snaking tool can be a quick and affordable option that won’t damage your plumbing. Snaking can be quite the art, which is why it’s best to just trust a professional. Besides, who knows what gross stuff you’ll pull up from your clog. Some people grab a plunger and try to form a suction to break the clog loose. That’ll move it for the time being, but eventually you’ll be back at square one when it lodges itself tight again. Baking Soda is a long-time home remedy for clogged drains, but there is no solid evidence to back the claim up.

So what do you do when you have a clogged drain? Call a plumber. Prestige Plumbing is ready to respond 24 hours a day. Our plumbers are able to video inspect your plumbing to ensure not only that the clog is taken care of, but also that there are no further current or developing issues. That means you can relax, because your plumbing is taken care of. For more information about protecting your plumbing, click here.