As plumbers, we face a problem with liquid chemical drain cleaners. These are not good for cleaning drains! Sitting on the shelves of grocery stores and big box stores, liquid drain cleaners seem like a bargain and a quick solution for when a drain in your bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room backs up. Don’t fall for it.

We’ll explain—and this comes from years of experience working on drain cleaning in Elgin, IL. If you want more information about how to fix clogs and other plumbing woes without these bottles of chemicals, come talk to Lifeline Plumbing.

Four reasons you shouldn’t rely on liquid drain cleaners:

• First, the chemicals in commercial drain cleaners—particularly the off-brand inexpensive varieties—have high toxicity levels. The fumes aren’t healthy to inhale and will sting and irritate your nose and eyes. These fumes hang around wherever the chemical was used long after it goes down the drain.
• Second, the chemicals in these cleaners can damage pipes while supposedly “cleaning” them. The principle chemical in commercial cleaning solutions is hydrochloric acid, which will not only gnaw at pipes as it sits in them, it will chew off the enamel and other expensive finishings in your kitchen or bathroom.
• Third, these chemicals are bad for the environment. The residue left in bottles ends up in landfills and can enter the water, poisoning fish and other wildlife.
• Fourth, they may not even work. Drains sometimes back up because of trouble in the sewer line or because of broken pipes. Dumping chemicals down a drain won’t fix these problems, and you’ll have all the above issues as well.

You’re better off with a plunger, and if that doesn’t work, summon your local Elgin, IL drain cleaning professionals. Lifeline Plumbing is ready to come to your aid 24/7!