Friday 30 May 2008

The Eco-Friendly Way to Unblock a Drain

Drains! Exciting stuff, I know, but I feel the need to sing the praises of the good old-fashioned plunger. Yup, one of these beasties.

Our shower drain was getting very blocked, despite repeated efforts with bleach and caustic soda. A little known disadvantage of lesbianism is the effect that two sets of long hair can have on your plumbing (perhaps that's why so many dykes go for the crew cut). K was all for pouring about a litre or so of strong chemicals down it to dissolve the bugger away, but I was a bit worried that this might undo a year's careful efforts with the Ecover range. My father suggested plunging, and wouldn't you know it, we actually had a plunger tucked away behind the loo that I had never noticed before! Doesn't that say great things about the thoroughness with which I clean the bathroom?. It worked like a charm, and was totally chemical free! A bit more gross, to be sure, but then there is something more satisfying about a good energetic plunge than simply pouring some liquid down the plughole. Perhaps that's just me.

I'm sure that to many people this is a case of teaching the proverbial Grandmother to suck the proverbial eggs (can anyone tell me why Grandmothers suck eggs? If mine is anything to go by, it should be a case of 'teach your Grandmother to read the Daily Mail, buy clothes from catalogues and make rude comments about immigrants'). Still, I've noticed that many of my friends (OK, those friends I have discussed drains with, not actually that many) would immediately reach for the chemicals in such a situation. I'm going to become a drain-plunger evangelist.

4 comments:

Bah said...

hee hee... you said 'beastie'...

My idiolect is infecting you!

Unknown said...

We recently invested in a plunger, and were similarly impressed with its sink-clearing efficiency. For those people still clinging to their chemicals, some simple maths should help:

Price of plunger = £2-3, depending on size required. Almost unlimited usage.

Price of Mr Muscle sink unblocker = £7 per litre and possible death by fume inhalation.

aliciag said...

cute, hilarious and helpful

signed, you're friendly neighborhood lezzie,

alicia

WendyG said...

Drains will stay unblocked for longer if you also cover the overflow outlet while using your plunger. Failing that, the u bend under the sink needs unscrewing with a bucket underneath. SoTommy Walsh writes in his book DIY Survival guide. This book was a retirement pressie for my husband from friends! I use it myself!!