Dealing with blocked or slow-draining drains

1. Clean your drain

A drain that is slow-draining or won’t drain at all, whether it be in your sink or your shower, is often caused by a blockage. Food, hair and shower products are just a few things that can block your drains. Please clean out what you can of your drain and make sure nothing is trapped around the plug.

2. Use a plunger

If this doesn’t stop the blockage, use a plunger or similar device to attempt to push through the blockage. Drain snakes are also helpful for getting up anything you can’t reach. You must do this in all cases as any blockages by hair, food or shower products are something caused by yourself. Use this videoon how to clean a drain and then this video on using a plunger (if the link doesn’t work anymore, searching YouTube for “use plunger to unblock drain” will bring up plenty of similar videos).

3. Purchase a drain unblocker

Purchase a product that is specifically-manufactured to unblock pipes and drains. They’re only cheap and can be picked up from most supermarkets. Mr Muscle Max Gel Pipe Unblocker is one option, though there will be various options.

4. Dealing with external drains

In the event of an issue with your external drains, please check for obstructions (e.g. stones, leaves, bin bags or food waste) and remove them yourselves where possible. Ensure the outside drain grate is intact too in order to prevent future blockages.