We all know the warning signs. The sink takes a little longer to drain. You begin to notice water pooling around your feet in the shower. And the odours. The strange, unpleasant odours. They are all signs that you may soon need to unblock your drain pipe.

And then one day, boom – your drain is blocked completely. It’s something you need to deal with quickly. Our three first aid tips might help you with a simple clogging issue.

1. The bent wire hanger
Simple enough, but surprisingly effective. Take an ordinary wire coat hanger and straighten it out as best you can. Then, bend one end over to create a small hook. Push that past the drain cover and start fishing. You should be able to get all sorts of hair and nasty stuff out of the drain. Remember, you always want to be pulling gunk out, not pushing it further. When you’ve got as much out as you can, run the hot water, and it should clear things up nicely.

2. Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar
Mix 1/3rd of a cup of bicarbonate of soda with 1/3rd of a cup of vinegar in a measuring cup. It will fizz immediately, and you should waste no time pouring it down the clogged drain. The fizzing action will help to remove the gunk, hair, and grime that has built up in the blocked drain pipe. Let it sit for one hour or even overnight if you can. Then flush the drain with hot water. Alternatively, get as much of the dry bicarbonate of soda as you can down the drain first, then pour on the vinegar.

3. Boiling water
Tips don’t get any easier than this. Put the kettle on and boil up as much water as it will hold. Now pour it slowly down the drain in two to three stages, allowing the hot water to work for a several seconds in between each pour. This is usually the easiest and quickest way to unclog a drain and it sometimes helps to add some washing up liquid to help dissolve any grease. If there’s any water left, congratulate yourself with a cup of tea.

If none of these do the job, then call one of our Drain Doctor drain unblocking experts. It makes sense to call in qualified professional help such as Drain Doctor Plumbing. Call us on 0800 70 71 72