We are in the 21st century, boys and girls... and it's so tempting when we encounter a blocked drain to go and buy a bottleful of poison (sorry chemical) and put it down the drain. There are better and safer options that we should consider before using chemicals.

Here's why... when they fail to unblock the blockage you are left with a nasty odour to contend with, and probably a dangerous liquid floating around in the sink or sommink.

So, what else can we do?

I was hoping you would ask :-)

You can't really improve on a plunger, where blocked drains are concerned. You will usually achieve the desired results from using a plunger. That is what we always wanted. One thing to bear in mind is to make sure the cup of the plunger is completely covered with water, and that the overflow inlet is covered with a piece of cloth or sommink.

It is a good idea to work from the outside when unblocking a waste pipe manually. You will need to place a bucket under the end of the pipe before clearing the obstruction.

After you've successfully cleared a drain, look for signs of wearing on the rings and replace them before reassembling the fittings. Remember to place the seals in their proper places. Failure to take this precaution will result in a leaking pipe. You certainly wouldn't want that to happen.

When a plunger fails to clear a blockage, try using a plumber's snake AKA spiral cleaner. They are stocked by the big hardware stores. Feed the spiral into the pipe, after disconnecting the pipe from the trap. When the wire reaches the obstruction, rotate the spiral by twisting the handle of the snake. This usually breaks up the blockageobstruction.

Sometimes, it isn't always possible to clear an obstruction from the sink end. For situations where the waste is discharged into a gully, you can try pushing a garden hose or stiff wire into the pipe from outside. This in itself might do the trick, but more often than not you will need to turn the tap on to shift the obstruction.

If you can't clear a blocked waste pipe from any end, you can try taking the bottle trap apart. You will have to close the plug-hole of the sink, as well as place a bowl under the trap before you dismantle it. Wash out the trap, and reassemble it after you have managed to get rid of the obstruction.

When fat or oil blocks up a drain pipe, you can apply a bit of heat to melt the fat and clear the pipe. A portable heater or hair dryer can be used as the source of heat. This treatment will usually make the obstruction clear, and the waste should start moving again. Turn on the hot water tap for at least one minute. This will wash away all remaining traces of fat or coagulated oil. Job done :-)