Environmentally Friendly Drain Cleaner

Any plumber will tell you that good maintenance is the best way of preventing a clogged drain, but if your waste water starts backing up your drainage pipe, you need to try removing the clog with an environmentally friendly cleaner. Many of the conventional drain cleaners that are being sold on the market today contain an active ingredient called sodium hydroxide, which is commonly known as lye or caustic soda. It is a man made substance that is generally used for home cleaners because it has corrosive properties. Sodium hydroxide is in itself not considered as a pollutant by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry or TSDR because it separates into its elemental components that are relatively harmless, once released in water and moist earth.

Legal but Still Dangerous

Although ingredients like caustic soda are not considered harmful to the environment, the substance is still an irritant that can aggravate your nose or burn your skin. It can also aggravate the respiratory passages and the throat, making it an ingredient that should be avoided. If such a cleaner is accidentally ingested, the person would likely vomit and have abdominal and chest pain. Swallowing will also be difficult, so if you are going to keep one around the house, it is best to keep it out of the reach of children.

Safer Alternatives to Chemicals

If you would rather be safe than sorry, there are alternatives that are as efficient as using chemicals. One of these is the proven home method of mixing around a handful of baking soda with ½ cup of vinegar. Pour the solution down your drain and follow up immediately with boiling water.

You could also use a mechanical drain snake or plunger with a small amount of elbow grease. This method will usually clear up clogs better than using chemicals, since the plunger or snake comes directly into contact with the clog. Hence, you will be able to use force to remove whatever is clogging your drain. Be careful not to apply too much force though so as not to crack your drain pipe.

Choose an Earth Friendly Cleaner

If manual labor is not for you, and you still want to clear the clog with a cleaner, use one that is labeled as eco-friendly. There are a number of drain cleaners in the market that use biological enzymes as active ingredient. The mixture of enzymes and natural bacteria in such cleaners are non corrosive and do not facilitate combustion, making it safer for your home as well.

Preventing Further Clogging

To keep your drain from being clogged, try to flush the pipes each week with boiling water. Installing a small screen on top of your drain will also be helpful as it prevents lint, hair and other such potentially clogging materials from entering your pipe system. Aside from eliminating the need for chemicals, you will also save yourself a lot of money that would be paid to a professional plumber, should the drain clog proves to be immovable through a home method.