12 Best Drain Cleaners [Tested and Reviewed]

This is a chemical drain cleaner that combines lye and bleach. In addition to the bathroom and the kitchen, it can be used in a variety of places including overflow drains, and with septic tanks. This drain cleaner has superb dissolving power, almost completely breaking down hair, flour, and pasta, so it’s very useful for unclogging kitchen sinks and shower drains. In addition, it only needs to sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

This is a chemical drain cleaner that combines both lye and bleach. It can be used with any septic system, PVC, plastic, steel, and old pipes, and garbage disposals. It destroyed the clog of flour and butter we used in our tests and mostly dissolved the pasta as well. It was relatively effective against hair, too, so we think it can be used in the bathroom and kitchen alike. In addition, it gets the job done in seven to 15 minutes, so it works very quickly.

However, it lacks viscosity, which prevents it from cleaning off debris that clings to the pipe walls. We didn’t find it very user-friendly, as it needs to be measured, it’s difficult to check how much is remaining, and it has a wide mouth, which makes it likely to come gushing out if you’re not careful.

This product comes in a recycled plastic container and is very environmentally friendly. They claim it’s less dangerous to humans than chemical drain cleaners because it doesn’t contain bleach or lye. It has to be measured out, but the container is translucent, making it easy to see how much is left, so we gave it a good rating for ease of use.

In addition, it also performed well in the bathroom clog-clearing test, as it took out all the hair and is perfect for unclogging the shower drain. However, it’s not very effective at dissolving things that cause clogs in the kitchen sink. It also takes six to eight hours to work, so it’s not ideal for people looking for a fast-acting product. In addition, it’s not very viscous, so it struggles to remove debris adhered to the pipe walls.

Green Gobbler Main Line Opener can be used with septic tanks and for a wide range of drains, including kitchen sinks, showers, garbage disposals and toilets. It comes in a one-gallon jug, which is about 10 uses. It dissolves hair very effectively, so it’s ideal for clearing shower drains. It only takes 30 minutes to work, so you can clear your drain quickly.

However, it doesn’t dissolve food waste very well, so we don’t recommend using it in the kitchen. In addition, it’s not very viscous and struggles to clean the pipe walls. The wide mouth causes the liquid to gush out at times and it’s difficult to tell how much is left in the container.

The Drano Max Gel Drain Clog Remover is a chemical drain cleaner. In addition to the 80-ounce size we tested for this article, it also comes in a smaller 32-ounce size. It only takes between 15 and 30 minutes to clear the drain, so it’s a fast-acting cleaner. It dissolved most of the clogged hair in our test, so we found that it’s very effective for bathrooms.

On the other hand, it wasn’t effective against kitchen clogs other than flour, so it’s not the best product for that job. It’s also not particularly viscous, so it isn’t the best product for clearing debris off the pipe walls. You need to measure it out when you use it and can’t check how much is left easily, so it’s not exactly user-friendly.

This product is separately packaged in the exact amount you need for each use. It’s recommended that you use it once a week, and it comes in a pack of four, or about a month’s supply. You don’t need to measure it out and you only have to wait for the bubbles to dissipate, which takes just one to two minutes. It contains ingredients that foam easily, so by pouring hot water down the drain, you can give it volume that helps it adhere to the pipe walls and clear off debris.

However, it struggled to dissolve hair and food waste, so we don’t expect it to clear stubborn clogs and we don’t recommend it for that, but it’s great for weekly maintenance to prevent slime and odors.

This is a tablet-type drain cleaner that gives off a gentle lemon scent when used. It only takes 20 minutes to work and all you have to do is place the tablet in the drain, so it’s very easy to use.

However, it completely failed to dissolve hair and barely dissolved food waste, so we don’t think it will do a good job clearing stubborn clogs. Also, because it’s a tablet, it doesn’t adhere to pipe walls and clean them off. While it’s easy to use, don’t expect it to clear difficult clogs. This product is better off being used for maintenance twice a week to prevent slime and odors.

This product uses microbes that eat debris clogging your drain and contains citrus oil, giving it a pleasant fragrance. It’s a highly viscous liquid, helping it adhere to pipe walls and clean them. While you do need to measure out the correct amount to use, its translucent container lets you easily see how much is left. It also has a small-mouth opening, making it easy to avoid pouring more than you want.

However, it couldn’t dissolve hair or butter at all and left most of the food waste as well, so it’s not ideal for tackling tough clogs. It also needs to be left overnight, which isn’t ideal.

This drain cleaner comes in individually wrapped tablets and can be used in the bathroom, kitchen, and even the toilet. As such, you don’t need to go through the hassle of measuring how much you need. It bubbles up quickly, helping it stick to the walls of the pipe and take down grime stuck to them. On top of all that, it only takes 15 to 30 minutes to work.

However, it can’t break down hair or food waste well, so it doesn’t seem very effective against stubborn clogs. It’s hard to evaluate a drain cleaner highly when it struggles to perform its main job.

Earthworm Drain Cleaner & Buildup Remover is characterized by its citrus and sage scent. It uses natural enzymes instead of lye or bleach, making it better for the environment. It wasn’t able to break down hair or food waste very effectively in our test, so we don’t expect it to clear clogged drains.

It isn’t very viscous, so it doesn’t adhere to the pipe walls very well, either. We didn’t find it very user-friendly, as it needs to be measured and the container has a wide mouth, meaning you run the risk of having the liquid come gushing out. You also need to keep adding more for three to five consecutive nights, making cleaning your drain a very long chore.

Bio-Clean uses their own unique blend of natural bacteria and four kinds of enzymes that they claim eliminates waste from pipes and sewage treatment systems. When we actually tested the product, it didn’t break down hair, oils, or food waste very thoroughly and didn’t seem capable of clearing stubborn clogs in either the kitchen or bathroom.

It’s also not very easy to use, as you need to measure it out and mix the powder with water first. In addition, it has low viscosity and doesn’t stick to the pipe walls, so it struggles to remove dirt and grime from them. While it is environmentally friendly, it doesn’t have much dissolving power and has to sit for six to eight hours.

These strips are meant to be used for clearing clogs and eliminating odors. They come in a pack of 12 and should be used once a month, meaning you use one pack per year. It comes in the form of a stick, so you don’t need to measure it out. However, we observed that most of the hair, oils, and food waste were still present even after eight hours, so this isn’t the best bet against tough clogs. It also doesn’t clean the pipe walls very well.

This product is meant to be used once a month, so it’s not great for clearing clogs and you’re better off using it to protect your drain from slime.