Your bathroom drain can take a good amount of abuse, whether it be from the constant use of water to your clipped nails to trimmed facial hair. Your drains can get clogged, stained or have a foul odor which can make your sink a nuisance. It's important to clean your drains regularly if you want to prevent it from being clogged and smelling foul.

If you do have a clogged drain, then you can use these tips to help unclog your bathroom drain and get your water flowing.



Use the Correct Drain Cleaner


While there are many commercial drain cleaners out there that promise to get you great results without damaging your sink, in my opinion the best way to go about cleaning your drain is to create your own solution. If you decide to go commercial, make sure to use the mildest drain cleaner possible to clean drains. Only move up to the next strength if the milder option doesn't work. However, I would recommend that you use a natural homemade solution as it's cheaper, environmentally friendly and will not damage your sink.

Homemade Bathroom Sink Solution to Unclog Your Drains

• Boil a pot of water and pour it slowly down your drain.
• Measure 1/2 cup of baking soda and put it down the drain. 
• Then, pour 1 cup of vinegar down your drain and quickly cover with the drain plug or towel (this allows you to keep the reaction below the drain surface). 
• Let this solution sit for at least 20 minutes.
• Flush with boiling water. 
• Repeat the steps if necessary...
  
  

Why this works: The hot water will loosen up any of the sludge, hair or other particles that are clogging your drain. The combination of baking soda and vinegar creates an explosive chemical reaction (remember those grade school projects) which will jolt the dirt loose. The hot-water rinse at the end helps to make sure that all that dirt goes down as well as ensures that you get rid of the vinegar smell. 

You should try to pour a pot of boiling water down your drain once a week to prevent future buildup and clogs.

Typically the freezer is one of the easiest appliances to clean since it's usually not too dirty in the first place due to the fact that most of the food or items that go in there are sealed. However, it's inevitable that some crumbs will happen to fall out, some drips from ice cream containers, and other bits of food will accumulate which is why you should take the time to clean your freezer every so often, especially since it doesn't take all that much time and doesn't require any fancy tools or multiple cleaners.

Defrosting

You'll want to figure out whether you should defrost your freezer as part of the cleaning process. Freezers that aren't marketed as "frost-free" need to be defrosted at least once a year, though I would recommend doing it every six months as a freezer that has accumulated ice will reduce you freezers storage space and efficiency as well as adding to your electricity bill. You'll know that you need to defrost once the layer of ice around the freezer walls reaches a thickness of 1/4 inch or you have ice accumulating on your food.

Cleaning Your Freezer
Unplug your freezer and then you'll want to take everything out of your freezer (duh!). Lay some towels around the area of your freezer to catch any run off water. I would  recommend that you don't chisel away the ice as you may cause damage; it's better to let all the ice melt on its own, which can take a few hours. While you're waiting for the freezer to defrost, get rid of any expired or freezer burned foods. Transfer the remaining items into a freezer bag or cooler. 

Once the ice has completely melted, get a towel or paper towels to absorb the water. Take out removable shelves and clean them in water. Vacuum around the coils and the inside to pick up any crumbs and then wipe down the entire freezer with a simple solution of baking soda  (1/2 cup baking soda to 1 gallon of water). You shouldn't use cleaners or soaps, as the scents can linger and permeate into your food. Definitely do not use bleach or other harsh chemicals as they can damage the inside of your freezer. 

Once you're done with cleaning your freezer, remember to plug it back in and then wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before putting all your food back in. A thorough cleaning of your freezer ensures that your freezer continues to run optimally and that you don't need to do any type of maintenance or repairs later on down the road. You should check your food on a monthly basis so as not to store any expired food. Following these simple steps will allow for a very clean freezer!