Why is my drain worse after using Drano?

There are three common reasons, and more than one can happen at the same time.

The clog moved. Poison Control explains that some drain cleaners "generate heat" that "helps melt grease and other oily drain-blocking substances." Melted grease does not vanish. Phoenix Water Services says grease "eventually cools down, congeals, builds up, and hardens," even when it is followed by hot water, "eventually forming a plug." So a blockage that softened near the drain can travel and set again farther down, where it is tighter and harder to reach. AAA describes the same pattern with hot water: it "might melt some of the gunk and push it farther down the pipe, where it hardens into a second clog."

The cleaner never got through. If the pipe is blocked completely, the liquid has nowhere to go. It sits on top of the clog and fills the sink and the trap. A drain that held a little water before now holds a basin of chemical solution, and it looks worse because it is deeper.

The clog was not what the product targets. Poison Control says these products break down "oily and greasy residues." A dropped object, a hair mat or a root ball is a different kind of blockage. In that case the cleaner just sits there.

### Why does it smell worse now?

Oatey says unpleasant smells from drains "are likely caused by standing water within the drain line." A cleaner does not remove a blockage it cannot dissolve, so whatever was trapped is still there, now sitting in water with chemicals in it. If the smell is like sewage and not like the product, see why the bathroom drain smells like sewer.

Treat it as if it is. MedlinePlus states that drain cleaners "contain very dangerous chemicals that can be harmful to your health if you swallow them, breathe them in (inhale), or if they come in contact with your skin and eyes." Poison Control adds that non-enzymatic products contain acids or alkalis such as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid, or sodium and potassium hydroxide, and that skin contact can cause "pain, irritation, and burns."

Poison Control also warns about splashback: injury can occur when a drain cleaner "splashes back from the drain area," which can happen "if too much product is poured into a completely blocked drain."

Here is how we would handle the room:

• Keep children and pets away from the sink.
• Wear rubber gloves and goggles before you touch anything, as Poison Control advises.
• Open a window for air.
• Do not add another product on top of it.
• If anyone gets it on skin or in the eyes, or breathes fumes, the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222, and Poison Control notes that guidance is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.

Take the gentlest step that can work, and stop as soon as the water moves.

1. 1Wait and let it settle. Follow the label on how long the product should sit and whether it says to flush with water. Do not keep adding more.
2. 2Skip the boiling water. AAA warns it can push the clog farther and make pipes "expand and contract, leading to leaks."
3. 3Do not plunge or open the trap while the pipe is full of strong liquid. This is our advice, and it comes from the splashback risk Poison Control describes. If you must open the trap, put a bucket under it, wear gloves and eye protection, and loosen it slowly.
4. 4Snake or plunge once the level is down. AAA lists the P-trap, a plunger and a drain snake as the standard steps.

If the sink does not drain at all, stop here. Not being able to reach the clog is the point at which a plumber can help. Our do I try to fix a clog myself page explains where the line is.

### Can I follow it with baking soda and vinegar or another product?

No. Poison Control says the baking soda and vinegar combination "is unlikely to be strong enough to melt away tough drain clogs due to oil and grease," and adding it to a pipe that already holds a cleaner gives you two things to worry about instead of one. Our safe alternatives page is for after the chemical is gone.

### Did Drano hurt my pipes?

Our is Drano bad for pipes page explains what the chemistry can do to different pipe materials, and why repeated use is the bigger concern. Whatever the answer for your pipes, tell the plumber which product you used and how much.

Most kitchen and bathroom clogs are built up slowly, so the fix is mostly habit. Phoenix Water Services says grease is the most frequent cause and asks residents to let cooking grease or oil cool "then dispose of it with the garbage." Oatey suggests food strainers or hair catchers to collect food particles and hair, and a monthly flush of the drains by filling the tub or sink with water and letting it drain. Our why the same drain keeps clogging page has more.

Call if any of these are true:

• The water will not drain at all, or the level does not move after the label's wait time.
• More than one fixture is slow or gurgling.
• You have used a chemical product, and the trap and plunger did not help.
• Water or sewage is coming up in another drain, such as a tub or a floor drain.

Phoenix Water Services notes that owners are responsible for the sewer line from the house to the city connection. When the blockage is in that line, a sink cleaner will not reach it.

AAA's advice for any do-it-yourself drain work is worth keeping in mind here: "proceed cautiously, as you don't want to exacerbate the problem," and "when in doubt, call a pro." A drain that is already worse after one attempt is a good moment to follow it. Poison Control's own reminders apply too: keep the product container closed, away from sight and out of reach of children, and keep goggles and gloves on until the sink is clear and rinsed.

Please tell the plumber what you used and how much. It affects how the crew protects itself when it opens the line, and it lets the tech decide whether it is safe to plunge or snake. A drain that you have only treated with a chemical, and not tried mechanically, is not a special case, and there is no reason to feel embarrassed about it.

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