[USER]

Clogged drains from soap scum! HELP. My hubs uses bar soap and the soap scum after 25 years in this house is clogging the drain. Advice would be lovely!

[J.O]

It’s NOT the bar soap.

[Susan]

Have you tried, pulling out the scum/hair/debris with a long reach drain cleaner that helps pull out all that stuff?

Then try running a few kettles full of boiling water. After that pour baking soda down the drain and then white vinegar, that will foam up and help clear the gunk out.

There are also 20′ hand crank drain snakes that you can get at any large box store in the plumbing section to snake your pipes.

See if any of these suggestions help you get rid of the clogged drain.

[Kim]

Go to Home Depot in the plumbing aisle and get the plastic drain cleaner, it looks like a long thin piece of plastic with little teeth on it. Just put it down the drain and pull it back up, you will be amazed at what comes up with it.

[Susan]

People don’t want to use chemicals but…I live in an old house with old pipes. I put the drain cleaner down there routine every six weeks. It is not the soap. Hair, skin etc…

[Brenda]

I just did a drain hack on both my bathroom sinks yesterday that worked great! First put 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then pour in 1/2 cup white vinegar. Close the drain and let it sit for at least an hour. Worked great for me.

[Kay]

It’s not the soap. Scum builds up over time. I use metal drain strainers in all my sinks and tubs/showers. You’d be surprised at the stuff they catch and I never pour anything greasy down the sink. I use paper towels and wipe all the grease out before it gets in my sink.

[Valerie]

Once a month when drain is dry I pour in about 1/4 cup baking soda then pour in a couple tablespoons vinegar. When I don’t hear any more fizzing I pour in a bit more vinegar. I keep doing this until no more fizzing last pour in a pot of boiling water.

[Jenny]

From personal experience, I’d highly recommend getting a snake and using it on the drain. It’ll clear it out much better than liquid plumber or something similar. I bought my snake on Amazon for under $10. However, I’ve only used it for sinks.

[Martha]

Cloralen concentrated bleach(walmart, may take more than one gallon). Dip out as much water as possible and be careful not to mix your chemicals. Pour the bleach in the offending sink or drain and wait for it to dissolve the hair and whatever else is there (in my experience between 30 minutesand two hours). Once it drains well pour boiling water down the drain

[Lori]

If all of those methods fail, they make something called a bladder. You attach it to your hose and it goes in the drain and forces clogs through. I just had to do that to my bathroom sink.

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