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Clogged drains are a common, albeit annoying, occurrence in any home. While it may be tempting to pick up a container of Drano to fix blocked pipes, most plumbers warn against using the commercial cleaner due to its harsh chemicals. Drano ingredients can be harmful to your health and your home. For example, sodium hydroxide (lye) slowly dissolves the organic matter causing a clog, but it can also corrode plumbing pipes in the process. In addition, drain cleaners like Drano should never be used to clear toilet clogs, as the aforementioned physical change produces enough heat to crack porcelain.
To fix clogged drains, opt for a safe homemade drain cleaner, a drain snake, or another Drano alternative that gets the job done without damaging pipes or exposing you and other people living in the home to harsh chemicals. The following nine alternatives are better options for solving a clogged drain.
1. Baking Soda, Salt, and Cream of Tartar
Combine 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda in a glass jar. | Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila 
Add 1/8 cup of cream of tartar to the jar. | Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila 
Pour homemade drain cleaner into affected drain. | Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila 
Pour hot water over drain cleaner and let sit for an hour. | Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
The ingredients for a chemical-free drain cleaner are probably already in your pantry! In a glass jar, combine:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup salt
1/8 cup cream of tartar
The salt and baking soda will help break up the clog, and the cream of tartar, cleans metal. Put a lid on the jar and shake the mixture. Pour half of it down the drain; save the other half for another use. Next, pour 2 cups hot water (don’t boil the water—doing so could melt PVC pipes) down the drain and let the cleaner sit for an hour or so. Flush the drain with cool running water.
2. Soap and Hot Water
This option works best on a grease clog in a kitchen sink or garbage disposal. Fill a pot with boiling water and mix in a few tablespoons of liquid dish soap. Slowly pour the mixture into the clogged drain and rinse with hot tap water. This method will heat the grease in the drain to a liquid state so it can travel down and out of the pipe.
3. Drain Snake
A plastic drain snake is a handy tool to clear most clogged drains. They are long and flexible with small hooks that manually pull out parts or all of the clog with minimal effort. Drain snakes are commonly used for hair clogs in bathroom sinks and showers.
To use, simply lower the snake into the drain until it has a good hold on the blockage and then pull the clog up. They are pretty cheap and can be reused. For more complicated clogs, consider a sturdier option like this one available at Amazon for about $20.
4. Baking Soda and White Vinegar
This home remedy for clogged drain problems is a solution recommended by many home cleaning experts. Start by pouring ½ cup of baking soda followed by ½ cup of vinegar down the drain. Let the solution sit for an hour. Finish by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain. Repeat the process until the drain clears.
RELATED: 10 Surprisingly Effective Ways to Clean With Baking Soda and Vinegar
5. Salt, Borax and White Vinegar
This is another way to solve those clogged pipes using simple ingredients many likely have around the home. Pour ¼ cup of salt and then a ¼ cup of Borax down the drain. Then, pour ½ cup of white vinegar down followed by a pot of boiling water. Let the solution sit for an hour and then run hot water down the drain to rinse it out.
6. Baking Soda and Lemon Juice
This is another natural drain-cleaning solution if you don’t have vinegar or salt on hand. Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the clogged drain and follow it with ½ cup of lemon juice. Stuff the drain with an old kitchen towel to keep the solution contained and let it sit 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the kitchen towel and finish by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain.
7. Green Gobbler
Green Gobbler contains a noncorrosive, biodegradable formula, which makes it safer to use on pipes than other chemical solutions. The Green Gobbler drain clog remover kit includes premeasured powder packs and drain snakes for a two-pronged approach to clearing stubborn clogs.
To use, pour one packet into the drain and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Clear the solution by pouring boiling water down the drain. Green Gobbler drain clog dissolver, a liquid, bleach-flee formula that’s safe for septic systems, is also effective.
8. Bio-Clean
Bio-Clean is another biodegradable drain-clearing product that doesn’t contain harmful or hazardous chemicals. Available at Amazon, Bio-Clean can be used on most drains and won’t cause any damage to pipes and septic systems.
To use, dissolve the powder in warm water and then pour the solution into the clogged drain. Wait 6 to 8 hours before flushing with warm water. Repeat the process as many times as needed to clear the drain.
9. Plunger
While you might think of a plunger as a tool to clear toilets, it can also be used to clear other drains such as a kitchen sink clogged with food. It’s best to purchase a plunger for this specific purpose rather than using a plunger that you’ve used previously in a toilet.
To use a plunger on a sink, fill the sink up about halfway with warm water and slowly plunge the drain until the water is able to drain.
RELATED: How to Unclog a Shower Drain
