A plumbing secret the 'man' doesn't want you to know.

So today I thought I'd start with a little known fact about kitchen/bathroom/wash room drains. Every house has this issue at some point: you're taking a shower/washing the dishes by hand, and the water is so slow in going down the drain that you can go watch your favorite movie (or go out to the movies) and it still won't be cleared 100% when the movie is over. Most of the time a clogged or slow-running drain is going to be a build-up of grease. The main stream society says to use 'Liquid Drano" or call Roto Rooter. I say save your money and clear this drain yourself for under $10.00.

All you need to do is go to your local grocery store and look for Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soap (AHSWS). It should be in the cleaning supplies section. Around here I have an ACME Supermarket and it runs in price for under $10.

Once you have this, stop up the sink/tub and fill it about half way. Take 1 cup of the AHSWS and stir it into the water until it is all dissolved. Once it is dissolved, opened the drain and let it work it's magic.

Now your probably asking yourself (and me), "Why use this method? Just because it's cheaper? And how is this better than Liquid Plumber or Roto Rooter? Well, first off not everyone is sure as to the materials of all the pipes in their home (be it apartment, house, condo, RV, etc...).
Liquid Plumber can't be used in all pipes. Certain metals will react to the chemicals in it that can eat away at the inside of the pipes and then you have a leak. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but in the near future. Then you have to worry about replacing pipes, calling in a plumber, cleaning out all the things under the cabinet and quite possibly in the basement to make sure the damage is not too severe. This is very costly and time consuming.

Roto Rooter is great if you have all new pipes and you don't mind paying someone else to fix your problem. Be prepared to pay. Note that worse case scenario, they may be your best bet, or your local plumber, but if it is just a clogged drain try my method first and save the money if possible.

Now to the all important question: why try this method? It's simple really. The grease is a solid blocking up the drains. Kind of like cholesterol blocking the arteries. What the AHSWS does is chemically (safely, not an acid) transforms the grease back into a liquid state - permanently. It will stay a liquid from your drains to the treatment plants and it can then be filtered/evaporated out of the water systems and is not harmful to the environment.

You can also use this method for washing your clothes as that is what it is truly intended for. If you are a mechanic, chef, fast food attendant, anyone that works around/with grease of any kind, this is the stuff for you. It will do the same thing to your clothes as is does for the drains and won't harm the material. Imagine not having to buy the expensive laundry detergents as often because every other load of laundry is washed with AHSWS.

And there you have it, a little secret that they won't advertise on tv/radio/internet, until now. I'll have more tips to come in the future, until then -