Chemical Drain Cleaners are Bad For Your Pipes ... But What About Eco-Friendly Options?

Gurgling, slow draining, funky smells — they're all signs of a clog in your drains. Whether the buildup is just starting or completely blocking the pipe, the clog needs to be taken care of quickly.

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Eventually, the sink or tub won't drain at all, and you could be dealing with water damage before long. But don't reach for hard chemical drain clear products to get the water moving again. The chemicals are hard on your pipes and on you.

Why Are Chemical Drain Cleaners Bad for Your Pipes?

Traditional commercial drain cleaners use strong, caustic chemicals to work the clogs out of your pipes. These products cause a chemical reaction in your drains, often generating heat in the process. Because the active ingredients are corrosive, they can eat away at your pipes in addition to breaking down the clog. The heat could cause PVC pipes to melt. The risk of damage to your pipes is higher the more you use the chemicals. They can weaken the material over time, eventually causing leaks.

The chemicals in drain cleaners are also dangerous to you. Inhaling the fumes can irritate your lungs and cause respiratory irritation. It's possible for the chemicals to splash onto your skin or in your eyes, especially if you use them with a plunger or other tools to clear the clog. They can burn any areas they come into contact with. In many cases, the drain cleaning products aren't effective, so the risks are all for nothing.

Are the Eco-Friendly Options on the Market Any Better?

There are eco-friendly drain cleaner products available that don't use the harsh chemicals of traditional options. Enzyme drain cleaners replace the caustic chemicals with bacteria that eat away at the clog. The idea is the same: to break up the materials that are stuck inside the pipe. Eco-friendly options do so in a gentler way, which prevents damage to the pipes. Using those products also keeps harsh chemicals out of waterways after you wash them down your drains.

The effectiveness of any commercial drain cleaner, either chemical or bacterial, can vary. They typically work better on small clogs that are just starting than larger, complete clogs. You can also use enzymatic drain cleaners routinely as a preventive tool to keep clogs from forming. Enzyme cleaners are also generally easier on the bacteria in a septic tank than harsh chemicals.

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Are There Any Safe Drain Cleaner Options?

Truly safe drain cleaner methods involve physically removing the clog from the drain. If the clog is minor enough, it might move through the pipe with the help of a plunger. Cup plungers with flat bottoms are ideal for sinks and tubs. The key to removing clogs successfully with a plunger is getting a good seal and moving the plunger up and down aggressively. It can take time to move the clog — work for at least 20 to 30 seconds before checking on it.

A plumbing snake is another effective tool for breaking up clogs without chemicals. It has a long, flexible cable that allows you to push the end of the snake into the drain until it reaches the clog. Turning the handle agitates the head of the snake, which helps break up the mass in the pipe. Then, you can flush the pipe to help push the debris through the drain.

If the clog contains lots of grease, pouring hot water down the drain could be an option. The heat helps melt the greasy residue and loosen other debris that's stuck in the pipe. However, if your pipes are made of PVC, the heat could soften or damage them. That's especially true if the pipe is completely blocked and the hot water is trapped inside the PVC pipe for an extended period.

Pouring baking soda in the drain followed by white vinegar is another option. The fizzing and bubbling could help loosen some of the stuck-on debris in the pipes. Follow up with water to rinse the debris down the pipe.

If you can't safely clear the pipe using these methods, it could be time to call a plumber. They use professional tools and methods that are gentle on the pipes yet effective on clogs. Plumbers are experts at clearing drains, so they can often complete the work quickly.