Unclogging your blocked drains on your own can help you save some money in the process. However, it is imperative that you get it right to avoid causing even more severe damages. If you have never unblocked your clogged drains before, you are likely to make some mistakes in the process. For this reason, here are some of these mistakes you should watch out for.

Pouring Hot Water Down Your Blocked Drain

Contrary to what many people may believe, pouring hot water down your drains does not always work. This is because for hot water to unblock your drains, the blockage has to contain grease or oils, for instance. In this case, the hot water dissolves the oils and helps unblock the drains. However, blocked drains usually contain a lot of other materials besides just grease and oil. Things such as hair can find their way down the drain. By pouring hot water down the drain, you will only be increasing the build-up, which means you will end up with an overflow problem.

Improvising Items to Unclog the Drain

Just because it is a DIY project doesn't mean you can use any 'tool' around your home to unclog your drains. Coat hangers, broom handles and other similar items are what most homeowners tend to resort to try and remove the blockages in their drains. This is highly ineffective. First, such items may end up breaking off or getting stuck inside the drains, causing even more problems. Besides, you could actually end up scratching and damaging the surface of the draining linings of your pipes. The best way to handle the blockages is to buy drainage rods, which you should be able to find in your local home improvement store.

Using Your Garden Hose

Turning on your garden hose and directing it into your blocked drains may not actually work. Just like pouring hot water, you will only be increasing the build-up inside the drains. The pressure of the water from the garden hose is not enough to unblock your drains, especially when the blockage contains solid and sticky substances.

Over-Relying On Chemical Drain Cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners can be effective. However, too much usage of the cleaners could do more harm than good. First, chemical drain cleaners are quite ineffective in removing solid blockages such as paper, hardened food particles, and hair. These abrasive cleaners often contain chemicals in high concentration. Therefore, if you use them in excessive amounts, you risk deteriorating the quality of your drains' pipe lining.