How to Use a Sewer Snake

Clogged drains can be a real nuisance. They only seem to get clogged when I am in a hurry and need to get my day going. I don’t understand how, but my sink works just fine at night when brushing my teeth and then is completely clogged in the morning when I am trying to shave and get to work! I used to just use our Natural Drain Cleaner to clear blocked drains, which was until I bought my own sewer snake!

Why Buy a Sewer Snake

A home sewer snake or auger only costs about $30. When you compare that to the cost of each bottle of drain cleaner, it doesn’t sound too bad. Also, a sewer snake is not going to be nearly as harsh of your pipes and it is infinitely better for the environment! The drain cleaner that you keep pouring down the drain has to go somewhere after all. The other benefit to owning your own sewer snake is that the clog is taken care of immediately. You don’t have to wait for the drain cleaner to dissolve the clog to get your drain running again.

How to Best Use Your Sewer Snake

Whenever you are cleaning a drain, wear gloves. Remove any drain stops or any other obstructions from your drain to provide ease of access and to help make it easier to remove any materials that need to be extracted. Fish the end of the snake into the drain until you feel pressure. Pull the snake back about an inch and slowly push into the blockage as you spin the snake. By constantly moving the snake into the clog, you can break up the clog into smaller parts which will be easier to remove and this method is also easier on your snake. I place a couple of paper towels around the drain before I begin. I use these to clean off the snake as I am working the clog. They also act to protect my countertop and keep my post-snaking cleanup to a minimum!

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• Keep Your Drains Running Clean

Cleaning the Kitchen Sink The Non Smelly Way

A lot of readers have tried our tip Clearing Clogged Sinks The Easy Way to clean and deodorize their kitchen sinks. This works great but I have gotten a lot of emails commenting on the smell the vinegar leaves behind. You can get around this smell by using the more expensive lemon juice. The basic reaction takes place by mixing baking soda with an mild acid, so either white vinegar or lemon juice will do. Lemon juice will leave a nice citrus smell in your kitchen, adding the the clean feeling.

The Easiest Way to Defrost Your Freezer

If you’re not lucky enough to own on of those new anti-frost refrigerators, every now and then you will have to defrost your freezer. There are some spray products out there that claim to help speed up the melting process. They do help but you probably already have the same liquid in your home. It’s just plain old rubbing alcohol. Just fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol. Turn your refrigerator off and remove all the items from your freezer. Spray down the icy build-up, mopping up the water with a towel, and throwing the large chunks that break away into the sink. The rubbing alcohol is safe, will evaporate when its job is done and works so fast your frozen foods probably won’t even have time to thaw.

Borax, The Wonder Cleaner For Over a Hundred Years

Borax, also known as sodium borate and sodium tetraborate, is one of the great cleaners that has been passed down for generations. It was discovered in 1872 and didn't take long until it's powers as a cleaner were unleashed. It works as an oxidizer, and when dissolved in water will create an alkaline antiseptic solution that is a disinfectant, detergent, deodorizer and water softener. It also has lots of commercial uses in the manufacture of many products.

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, but is toxic. You should always wear gloves when working with it as it absorbed through the skin and takes a long time to work its way out of your system. Keep it away from children, and no matter what you read on the Internet, never bath your pet in it. I have listed it here during eco-cleaning week because it is a natural salt, but it still is dangerous and must be handled carefully.

Borax is good at cleaning tubs, carpet stains, sinks, and mildew. It works great as a laundry booster and is an ingredient of many brands. For laundry it works especially well on curry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, vomit, and red wine stains. It also works as a deodorizer for carpets and cloths. I use it most often to remove the rings in my toilets.