Is there ANY safe drain cleaner?

[hipmommah]

I use non-toxic housecleaning, personal care, laundry care, etc. and I need to clear out the drains in my bathroom. This poses a problem as I don't think there is anything out there so far as drain cleaners go, that aren't just heinous! Ok, so I tried pouring Coke down the drain and that helped a bit, but my drains aren't totally clogged, they just drain SLOW.

Anyone? HELP! It so grosses me out that my daughter wants to play in the icky sink water that just hasn't drained. And it pisses her off that I won't let her!

Be Well~
bari

[tabitha]

here's what we use: 1/2 cup of baking soda, followed by 1 cup white vinegar. cover drain with a heavy plate or pot. then pour a kettle full of boiling water down, after about 10 minutes.

it can hep to prevent clogs if you regularly pour a kettle of boiling water down. perhaps once a week or every 2 weeks.

this is completely non-toxic and works very well. good luck, tabitha

ps. i am sure that there are nontoxic draincleaners out there- i think i saw one made by ECOver or 7thgen.

[emmaline]

we use a bacterial agent that activates after you pour it in the drain and add a little water - can't think of the name but no doubt it would be different where you are - the bacteria basically eat through the stuff clogging the drain, it takes all night to work but is safe for the environment

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/roebic.html

something similar to this stuff - it can't be toxic if it's designed for septic tanks

[EnviroBecca]

Earth-Friendly Products makes a good enzymatic drain cleaner, but I mostly use the baking soda & vinegar followed by boiling water method. One of the two takes care of most organic clogs such as hair. If those aren't working, I remove the drain screen/stopper and use the ShopVac to suck out the clog.

[leafylady]

I tend to think that the only safe drain cleaner is one of those metal snakes used for cleaning out drains. What do you mean by safe- safe ingredients to have around kids or safe for the environment?
Think about it. Anything that eats through a clog (probably hair & goo) would eat through human tissue. However, even if it is toxic to humans, it may not produce toxic gasses and may also be safe for septic systems. Remember, the gasses emitted by septic systems can also be toxic for humans, even though they are very natural.

For minor drain slowdowns I use a fork or a bent metal wire to fish the hair out of the drains. It is usually not too far down and it works well. It's kinda disgusting to look at, but solves the problem without chemicals.