January 2, 2025
How to Unblock a Drain: 5 DIY Methods (And When to Stop)
A professional guide to safe home remedies vs. serious blockages.
If you are reading this, you are probably standing over a sink full of dirty water, wondering if you can fix it without calling a plumber. The good news? 70% of minor blockages can be cleared with simple household items. The bad news? The other 30% are deep main-line blockages that no amount of baking soda will fix.
This guide will show you exactly how to try clearing it yourself safely—and how to know when you’ve hit a problem that needs our £120 Fixed Price solution.
The "Traffic Light" System for Blockages
Before you start, check which category you are in. It could save you hours of wasted effort.
🟢 GREEN LIGHT (Try DIY)
Water is draining, just slowly.
It affects only one sink or basin.
No bad smells or gurgling sounds elsewhere.
🔴 RED LIGHT (Do Not Touch – Call a Pro)
Multiple drains are blocked (e.g., flush the toilet, and the shower fills up).
External manholes are overflowing.
Sewage smells are coming from inside the house.
Why? This is a Main Sewer Line blockage. Putting chemicals or rods down here can make it worse or simply fail to reach the problem.
The 3 Best DIY Methods (That Actually Work)
Forget “life hacks” that don’t work. These are the methods plumbers actually recommend for minor clogs.
Method 1: The “Soda Volcano” (For Grease & Soap)
Best for: Kitchen Sinks & Slow Showers.
- Pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain.
- Pour 1 cup of Bicarbonate of Soda.
- Pour 1 cup of White Vinegar.
- Plug the drain quickly! The fizz needs to push down, not up.
- Wait 10 minutes, then flush with more boiling water.
Method 2: The Plunger Technique (Done Correctly)
Most people use plungers wrong.
The Secret: You must block the overflow hole with a wet cloth first. If you don’t, the air just escapes through the overflow instead of pushing the blockage.
The Action: Push gently to release air, then pull up sharply. It’s the suction that clears the drain, not the pushing.
Method 3: Cleaning the U-Bend (The Trap)
If the plunger failed, the blockage is likely physical (food, jewelry, hair) stuck in the trap under the sink.
- Put a bucket under the pipe.
- Unscrew the plastic nuts by hand.
- Clean out the “gunk.”
- Screw it back on (carefully—don’t cross-thread it!).
The "Danger Zone" (What NOT To Do)
We see the damage caused by these "solutions" every week.
❌ 1. Cheap Drain Rods If you buy cheap rods from a hardware store, be warned: They unscrew when you twist them left. We constantly get calls to retrieve “stuck rods” from drains. This turns a £120 unblock into an expensive excavation job.
❌ 2. Caustic Chemical Cleaners Sulphuric acid cleaners produce heat. On old plastic pipes or flexible connectors, this heat can melt the pipework or eat through rubber seals, causing leaks under your floorboards.
When DIY Fails – The "Fixed Price" Safety Net
If you have tried the methods above and the water still won’t go down, the blockage is likely further down the pipe or caused by something hard (like scale, roots, or a collapsed pipe).
Don’t Keep Pushing. You risk compacting the blockage and making it harder to remove.
The Drain 247 Solution: Instead of renting expensive equipment or risking pipe damage, let us handle it.
£120 Fixed Price for the first hour (covers 99% of jobs).
High-Pressure Jetting included (far more powerful than a garden hose).
No Call-Out Fee.
Try the simple stuff first.
But if the water starts rising, don’t panic. We are the “Backup Plan” for London & Herts homeowners.
