When you’ve got a blocked drain, you need a solution that’s going to work first time.
We’ve been looking for the best drain cleaner. Is there an effective product that is eco-friendly too?
Drain Emergency
Clearing a blocked drain is a heavy-duty cleaning job. You’ll notice your bathroom or kitchen sink drains slowly, or not at all. You might find nasty smells creeping into your space too. And it’s not surprising. That blockage could be caused by kitchen grease, food waste, soap scum, hair… yuck.
When it feels like a drain emergency, it’s easy to reach for the big name brands on the supermarket shelf. But is there any alternative?
Our Drain Cleaner Test
We put three options to the test to find the best drain cleaner.
We scored each product on 4 factors:
- Cleaning effectiveness
- Smell
- Packaging
- Speed.
So which product scored best?
Mr Muscle Drain Gel
Operations Manager Rumi put this product to the test during her Site Quality Checks.
Overall, Rumi was impressed with the speed and effectiveness. The gel didn’t damage the sink fittings, and the smell wasn’t strong or harsh.
However, the product information reveals that the gel is “very toxic to aquatic life with long last effects.”
Ingredients include Sodium Hypochorite and caustic soda. Both of these strong alkalines are harmful to fish and other wildlife, so pouring them down the drains can damage the health of our waterways. They can also cause skin irritation and breathing problems in humans – especially if mixed with other cleaning products.
So while this drain cleaner does the job, it comes at an environmental and health cost.
Cost per 100ml: £0.40
Total score: 16/20
Rohrentsperrer
Our COO Jo had a real plumbing emergency on her hands, when builders poured cement down the toilet.
Jo had heard about this powder-based product and decided to give it a try.
The first issue was the delivery. The product was shipped from Germany, and so took a long time to arrive. Long distance shipping also means this product comes with a hefty carbon footprint. Plus, it’s very expensive at £12.99 for 260g.
When it finally arrived, this product certainly did the job. When the powder is poured into the drain (or in Jo’s case, the toilet), it bubbles up and sweeps the blockage away. It worked fast, and left Jo with a renewed, flushing toilet.
However, while this product doesn’t have a strong smell, it is highly toxic. And worryingly, Jo found that when she applied it to the toilet, the powder filled her nostrils.
This is an effective drain cleaner that works fast. But in our view, the environmental impact is too high a price to pay.
Cost per 100ml: £5.00
Total score: 16/20
Nancy Birtwhistle’s Home Made Drain Cleaner
As usual, Nancy keeps it simple with readily available ingredients.
Nancy recommends adding tea tree oil to the drain cleaner solution for a fresh fragrance. However, when I checked the bottle, the tea tree oil was labelled as “harmful to aquatic life” so I decided to leave out this ingredient. This also reduced the cost dramatically too.
Nancy’s method:
Dissolve 150g washing soda with 150ml of boiling water, and pour the cloudy solution down the sink. Put the plug in, and make sure no-one uses the sink for 8 hours. Leave overnight if possible.
After 8 hours, pour another kettle of boiling water down the drain, which should now flow freely.
This method is simple, safe, effective and odour-free. However, it takes at least 8 hours to work, so it’s not a quick option, and couldn’t easily be managed by a cleaning professional.
Cost per 100ml: £0.34
Total score: 17/20
Planet-friendly Drain Cleaner: The Verdict
When it comes to drain cleaners, fast and convenient often means powerful, harmful chemicals that blast the blockage away.
I’ll be trying to use Nancy Birtwhistle’s gentler, more planet-friendly solution as much as possible (even if it takes longer). If you have found another, faster option, I’d love to hear about it.
Join us in our quest to choose greener cleaner products with #JustOneSwap, and find more inspiration and products to try in our blog.
