It’s an emergency, you jump in the shower, only for it to turn into a bath! The water isn’t draining away and you don’t know what to do. It’s time to figure out how to get the drain unclogged. If you look at “How to unclog a drain” videos online, you’ll see that most talk about taking plumbing apart and finding out what’s in the trap.

If that seems a bit extreme, that’s because it is. There are several steps that you can take to unclog a drain that are safe, effective, and won’t require disconnecting pipes that you can try before going all out and taking a fully-fledged plumber’s approach. Here are some things worth trying:

The wire hanger method

If your clog is somewhere near the top of the drain, a simple wire hanger may do the trick. Bend the wire hanger so that it looks more like a metal stick. On one end, you’ll find that the hanger is straight and on the other end, there’s a corkscrew of sorts.

Using the straight end as a handle, work the corkscrew side of the wire into the drain that is clogged. Put the hanger down as deep as you can while still maintaining a good grasp on it. Throughout the process, twist the hanger so that the corkscrew end grabs any hair or other debris that may be in your drain.

Slowly work the wire hanger out of the drain. If all went well, you’ll see the cause of your clog on the end of the hanger. Now, all you have to do is run your water to ensure that your drain flows well.

The plunger isn’t just for the toilet

Plungers can be used to work out clogs in just about any drain, not just toilets. All you need is a ceramic style surface that will allow the plunger to trap air. This can be in a sink or bathtub. As long as the surface is smooth, like the inside of a toilet, this method may work.

If there is no visible water, you’ll want to add a bit. The water helps create the pressure and suction action that causes the plunger to work. Once you have about an inch of water to work with, plunge the drain like you would your toilet. If the clog isn’t too stubborn, chances are that the pressure created from the plunger will break it up, leaving your water flowing as good as it did when you first moved in.

Try a snake

If your drain is still clogged, you’ve got a stubborn one. But don’t worry, there are plenty more options. The next would be to use a snake. No, we’re not talking about your standard garden snake, it’s a plumbing tool.

Essentially, it’s a wire with a head that is designed to grab a clog. Snakes can be purchased at your local home improvement store relatively inexpensively, and can come in handy not only now, but down the road. It may be worth considering purchasing one and working it into your drain as you did with the wire hanger. The difference is that the snake will go far further, finding clogs that are 10, 20, 30 or more feet away!

Baking soda, vinegar and water

While many would jump to a harsh chemical, there’s an environmentally-friendly way to break down stubborn clogs, and it’s a much cheaper way to go! It’s yet another baking soda trick.

Start by pouring a cup of baking soda down the drain. Do what you can to make sure that it ends up in the drain and not collected on the side. It’s OK to go overboard here, making it a hefty cup will improve your chances of making sure that the proper amount makes it to the clog.

Next, get a cup of vinegar and pour it down the drain. You’ll start to see some action starting as the baking soda reacts to the vinegar. This will lead to bubbles and fizzing. Don’t worry, this is normal, the action is just a sign that it’s working.

While it’s working, fill a decent-sized saucepan ¾ of the way with water and put it on the stove on high heat. The goal is to get it to a boil while the baking soda mixture does its magic. Once the fizzing dies down, pour the hot water down the drain to make the rest of the magic happen. At this point, your drain should be unclogged and working properly.

Know when to fold ’em

We all want to be DIY experts. However, if your drain isn’t working properly at this point, your clog is a very tough one and might require some professional attention. Do a search on Google for local plumbers to find the professionals that are available near you.

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