Can Bleach Unblock A Drain?

This month at Express Drainage Surveys, we’re taking a deep dive into what household bleach can and can’t do for your drains.

If you’re staring at a drain outside that is overflowing, or if you’ve got a gully that refuses to handle any more rainwater, your first thought might be to reach for the bleach. Most people think that bleach will cut through almost any grime and blockage, but for your outside drains, it’s not quite the right solution.

What bleach is and what it does

The science behind bleach is this: its real name is sodium hypochlorite, and it acts as a really powerful disinfectant, as well as being a whitening agent (the reason you don’t want it on your clothes). While it can excel at sanitising surfaces, removing stains and killing both bacteria and mould, it limits it as a tool for household cleaning.

Bleach, despite its reputation, is not actually designed to mechanically break down blockages or clogs. Instead, it may loosen any dirt or build-ups in your internal drains when combined with hot water due to corrosive properties, but generally it should be used to sanitise.

Four reasons bleach isn’t a reliable drain unblocker outdoors

Bleach won’t address the root cause of drain blockages

If your outdoor drains are blocked up with leaves, silt, tree roots or just general debris carried by the weather, you won’t be able to use bleach. That’s because it won’t dissolve these solid blockages – the materials are just physically obstructing the flow of water. Bleach is not formulated to break down solids like leaves and twigs.

Bleach can damage your pipes

Anyone who has used bleach will know that it eventually needs to be washed away. That’s because prolonged contact with metals and plastics can lead to degradation, especially for adhesives and seals, making it damaging for your drains.

Bleach can have hazardous reactions

Bleach is not a substance to be casually used, since it can react with other cleaning chemicals or substances in your drains. This can result in dangerous fumes or other harmful byproducts – a toxic reaction that is equal parts unexpected and hazardous to everyone around the area.

Bleach is supposed to be for sanitising

We’ve mentioned the real purpose of bleach, which is sanitising. So while it might smell cleansing to put in your drains, it’s not going to have a meaningful impact on a blocked drain. You’ll be wasting both time and money pouring bleach into external drains.

Are there scenarios when bleach can work?

No, bleach poured into the drains outside of your house will not dislodge a blockage. However, it may be used for the following:

To remove minor grease or muddy build-up when combined with hot water
To temporarily suppress bacterial odour when used as a flushing solution
To sanitise your drains and the outside of the drain grating after the obstruction is removed

Remember, bleach for drains is simply to kill bacteria, not to remove whole blockages.

Alternatives to bleach for unblocking external drains

A lot depends on the severity of the blockage and what it’s made of. We always recommend calling in the experts to safely take care of your blocked drain (which we’ve covered in the next section), but if you want to try more targeted, effective methods without the bleach, here are some alternatives:

Flush it out with hot water: This can be useful to soften up grease if it’s a small amount, removing light sediment. It’s the real reason bleach and hot water give the impression of being effective, when actually it’s purely the heat from the water.
Use a gully rod: If you’re not sure how to use a flexible rod to move deep blockages, we don’t recommend trying this, but it is how some professionals will attempt to dislodge leaves, roots and compacted material.
Carefully use caustic soda: Another route we don’t recommend, but caustic soda, when handled with care, can break down some grease and organic matter. This is still a corrosive substance, so results can be unpredictable and dangerous.
Physically clean and maintain drains: This is more of a preventative measure, but simple actions like taking out grilles, scooping out debris and installing a catch-pit can help to lower the amount of unwelcome material in your system.

Why you need expert drain unblocking

If you’re a skilled drainage technician, you may not need our help. For anyone else, you can save yourself time, hassle and the headache by enlisting our services. Whether it’s high-pressure jetting to clean your drainage system or a CCTV drainage survey to inspect and locate the exact nature of the issue, you’re removing the risk of injury for you and your family.

Our knowledge of the required, state-of-the-art tools, the safety protocols and different drain types means that whether you have a large or small blockage, we can help. With DIY attempts, you can do more harm than good, whereas our service can unmask the underlying issues.

It may be a simple blockage that requires our equipment to move, or we might be able to spot the early signs of root intrusion and collapsed pipes that you weren’t aware of. This can lead to a significant cost saving, rather than waiting for disaster to strike and create an emergency.

Our drain unblocking services at Express Drainage Surveys

Based in Surrey, we can serve the UK for drain unblocking services, especially for homeowners and businesses across London and Greater London. Our clients trust us because we have superior knowledge of drains across the region, whether for older properties or new builds.

When you need a targeted service to put the proper flow back in your drains, look no further than our range of specialist drainage services:

Now you know the truth about bleach and drainage blockages, don’t hesitate to contact our team for expert advice or to book an appointment. Our technicians will be happy to visit your property and establish which service is best suited to tackling your blocked drain – call now for the long-term benefit of your property.