The video below will demonstrate how easy it is to unclog bathroom sink and bathtub drains using a simple plastic tool that lasts years and costs under $5 on Amazon. It’s called the Zip-It drain cleaner and is the best kind of tool for the job – SIMPLE.

When did we get so grossed out by our own hair that we decided it would be better to dump a half gallon of expensive, corrosive chemicals down the drain than to just use a tool like this? Let’s get back some of our sanity here and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid):

The active ingredient in Drano and similar drain cleaners is sodium
hydroxide, otherwise known as caustic soda or lye. According to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry, sodium hydroxide is not considered a pollutant, as it separates into relatively harmless component elements once released into water or moist soil. We even make our own lye-based soap, but the lye is rendered inert as it combines with the fats to saponify. Without saponification, however, it can damage your plumbing and is terrible for the benefitial bacteria that live in septic systems and break down waste. Not to mention the health effects, which are outlined below (quoted from the CDC.gov website):

Inhalation of low levels of sodium hydroxide as dusts, mists or aerosols may cause irritation of the nose, throat, and respiratory airways. Inhalation of higher levels can produce swelling or spasms of the upper airway leading to obstruction and loss of measurable pulse; inflammation of the lungs and accumulation of fluid in the lungs may also occur.

Ingestion of solid or liquid sodium hydroxide can cause spontaneous vomiting, chest and abdominal pain, and difficulty swallowing. Corrosive injury to the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach is very rapid and may result in perforation, hemorrhage, and narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract. Case reports indicate that death results from shock, infection of the corroded tissues, lung damage, or loss of measurable pulse.

Skin contact with sodium hydroxide can cause severe burns with deep ulcerations.