Clogged drains are among the more common problems that you home's plumbing is likely to encounter. While most of these clogs will be relatively easy to correct with nothing more than a plunger, some of the clogs can be extremely difficult to remove, but this does not mean that you will have to immediately contact a professional. There are a couple of simple tips you can follow to help free the clog from your drains. 

Use Laundry Detergent When Plunging

When plunging the drain, you may notice that the clog is only gradually moving through the pipes. While this is a promising sign that the problem is repairable, it can be exhausting and time-consuming to plunge an unwieldy clog through your pipe. Luckily, laundry detergent is excellent at speeding up this process because it is slick enough to help lubricate the clog, which should make it easier to push through the pipes. 

Some people may avoid this because they assume the detergent will simply mix with the water, and while some of this will happen, the detergent is far thicker than the surrounding water. As a result, it will sink down the drain until it encounters the clog. 

Pour Vinegar Down The Drain

Vinegar is another option for easily breaking up stubborn clogs that are slowing your drains. With this approach, you will simply need to pour a large amount of vinegar down the drain and allow it to dissolve the sticky accumulations before flushing the pipe. This technique can be highly effective at correcting slow drains, but there cannot be any water present in the drain when you use this approach because otherwise the vinegar will be too diluted to be able to dissolve the grime that is contributing to the clog. 

Also, you will need to make sure that you thoroughly rinse the drain after pouring vinegar in it. Vinegar is highly corrosive, and this can cause major damage to older pipes. Generally, you will want to rinse out the drain by turning on the faucet's hot water and allowing it to pour into the drain for several minutes. 

Clogged drains can cause a variety of problems for your home, but you may not understand what is needed to correct particularly stubborn clogs. By understanding the benefits of using laundry detergent as a lubricant and vinegar to dissolve sticky residue, you should be in a stronger position to keep this routine problem from causing major disruptions to your home life.

To get help from a professional, contact a company like Doctor Fix-It.