The washing machine pipe overflowed today. Apparently soap scum and lint are the culprits for clogging up the drainage pipe.
Here are some things I found out:
An enzyme cleaner will eat away at organic residue
Chemical cleaners will burn a hole in the clog and not necessarily clear the whole pipe
Using home products will take longer to clear the clog.
Check the How to Clear a Slow Drain Naturally link. The suggestion here is to use 1/2 cup of baking soda, followed by 1 cup of white vinegar followed by boiling hot water once it has fizzed and foamed.
Other suggestions using products around the house are: Alka Seltzer and vinegar, baking soda and salt, Dawn dishwashing liquid, Coca-Cola. The instructions for all of these are here.
I tried Draino, then baking soda and white vinegar - neither worked (although they have in the past). I tried a hand held auger and that didn't work either.
The plummer finally cleared it by using an electric powered auger and clearing it from the outside pipe connection. Apparently jello-type gunk builds up and will not completely block the drain, but will not allow the water through quickly enough. Oh well, it was worth a try.
