1 Can I Pour Bleach Down The Drain To Unclog It? How Does Bleach Unclog Your Drain? Will Bleach Dissolve Hair In A Drain? How To Actually Remove Hair From A Drain Is Using Bleach To Unclog Drains Safe For Your Plumbing? 5 What To Do If I Poured Bleach Down My Drain Conclusion At some point or another, it has happened to all of us: Suddenly, your bathtub’s drain isn’t working properly. Maybe the water drains slowly when you’re taking a shower, or maybe there’s a pool of water that just won’t go away.
Your feet and the environment both suffer from clogged shower and bathtub drains. They may lead to the development of mold and mildew.
However, they can occasionally be more challenging to unclog than sink drains, particularly if the obstruction is deeper in the pipes than a plastic snake can reach.
You can try a number of do-it-yourself techniques to unclog a bathtub. Does bleach count among them?
In that case, how do you employ it?
CAN I USE BLEACH TO UNCLOG THE DRAIN?
The most common brand of bleach offered as household cleaner is Clorox. Many people use it to clean domestic surfaces and remove stains from garments.
More than 99.9% of the bacteria and germs that are thriving in any particular region can be killed by it.
In light of this, it is possible to clean a drain by pouring bleach down it. Anyone who is concerned that mold and mildew might be developing underground where you can’t see them may find this appealing.
However, bleach is ineffective for clearing obstructions. While bleach may have eaten through certain materials in your washing machine, it is not actually able to dissolve soap scum or hair.
The main ingredients in the majority of bathtub plumbing clogs are these two substances.
If you do decide to clean your drain after unclogging it—which is probably a good idea if the obstruction has been there for a while—you’ll need to dissolve the obstruction first. Fortunately, you may avoid spending money on pricey cleaners by using a variety of simple household remedies.
HOW DOES BLEACH CLEAR A BLOCKED DRAIN?
In reality, using bleach to unclog a drain is useless. Although it is caustic enough to dissolve a variety of things, a blockage won’t be dissolved by it.
However, you can sterilize your drain by using bleach. When dealing with mold growth and filth that other cleaners haven’t been able to remove, you might employ this procedure.
Even though the mold may be far down in the drain, spores could still be lowering the air quality in your bathroom if they escape.
However, you should think carefully before using bleach in your pipes. When combined with certain other components, bleach frequently produces dangerous and sometimes lethal fumes.
Using bleach and ammonia as an example, lethal mustard gas is produced.
Ammonia is a substance that is found in both your urine and many cleaning products. Because of this, experts frequently advise against pouring bleach into your toilet or down the drain in your bathroom.
If you choose to use bleach to sterilize your pipes, you must take the following actions:
Pour a mixture of 1/5 cup bleach and water down the drain. Pour a couple glasses of boiling water down after it after ten or so minutes have passed. Make sure you don’t leave the bleach in the drain for too long because it can corrode your pipework. However, using common home ingredients like baking soda and white vinegar is far safer. When you have a clog, these items are also more efficient.
CAN BLEACH REMOVE HAIR FROM A DRAIN?
In a drain, bleach cannot disintegrate hair. The fact that it has corrosive qualities might lead you to believe it could.
However, despite the fact that it can burn your skin and harm your pipes, it won’t actually consume hair. Additionally, soap scum that accumulates around the hair will not be eaten by it.
The majority of clogs are caused when clumps of hair and dirt get lodged inside the pipes. They may accumulate to the point where the tub’s normal drainage is compromised.
If a slow-draining tub is left unattended for too long, the drain may finally get totally clogged.
Some products, including Drano, are promoted as chemical drain cleaners. These are designed to remove dirt and hair from your pipes.
However, a lot of these chemicals are too corrosive for your pipes, and they might harm your plumbing system.
How to actually clear a drain of hair Depending on how deep the blockage is, a different method will be used to remove it. You might be able to manually clear the debris inside your drain pipe by unscrewing it, lifting it up, and doing so.
But occasionally, the obstruction will be located far inside the pipes, out of your reach.
If you are aware that hair is the root of the clog, remedies like boiling water won’t be effective. Hair will not disintegrate in boiling water, but dirt and soap will.
Boiling water is still the first thing to try if you’re not sure where the clog came from.
Baking soda and vinegar mixed together is the greatest kind of natural remedy to utilize. Now, combining these two substances will result in a frothy mess, so take the following actions instead:
Baking soda should be measured out in a cup. Drain it down the drain. Ten minutes must pass. Pick up a cup of vinegar and measure it out without washing the baking soda. Also flush this down the toilet. The substances will bubble up and dissolve any leftover material when they combine in the pipes. They might be able to move and remove any leftover hair as well.
You can flush the particles out by pouring a cup of hot water down after a short period of time. Additionally, this will dissolve any leftover soap scum or filth.
Overall, this is a far more practical, environmentally friendly approach. Bleach won’t be any better if it fails.
At that moment, you should think about hiring a qualified plumber.
IS IT SAFE FOR YOUR PLUMBING TO USE BLEACH TO UNCLOG DRAINS? Bleach down the drain might be hazardous. It has the potential to combine with other compounds to produce hazardous gas in addition to corroding your pipes.
Bleach can destroy the necessary bacteria in a septic system that are utilized to breakdown and process waste.
Pouring bleach down your drain is not a smart idea in light of all of this. Find a plumber who can handle the job if you have a tough clog that won’t clear even with boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda.
It’s possible that bleach will just get stuck in a clogged drain if you pour there down it. Anything else that is flushed down the drain has the potential to mix with the bleach and release gases.
Your pipes might even explode occasionally as a result of explosive reactions.
IF I POURED BLEACH DOWN MY DRAIN, WHAT DO I DO? The easiest method to prevent potentially dangerous bleach concerns is to never pour bleach down your drain. However, there are certain precautions you can do to lessen the harm if you did.
To wash off the bleach and dilute it, pour hot water down the drain. To prevent potential rusting, do this as soon as possible.
In order to remove a clog, boiling water works best because it may dissolve soap scum and filth.
Your septic system and any wildlife that might come into contact with your wastewater are both harmed by undiluted bleach. The amount of water needed to dilute it is in the gallons.
If the draining is good enough, you might just want to leave your tub faucet run for a time.
Even if you believe they are probably safe, you should never flush bleach down the drain with other home cleansers. Just too dangerous.
Never pour anything containing acid or ammonia down the drain.
You should call a plumber if you did pour bleach down your drain and it is still clogged. They can explain how to safely clear the clog and remove the bleach from the pipes without risking further corrosion.
CONCLUSION Your bathtub drain cannot be unclogged with bleach. Additionally, even while it can be used to clean your pipes, it can harm your septic system or poison nearby wildlife.
Pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain will work better because the reaction will remove hair and filth.
