28 June 2026

Clear a blockage yourself or call a drain service?

One blocked drain you can often handle yourself. The honest dividing line — and why chemical drain cleaner is the worst intermediate step.

Safe to do yourself with one blocked drain: an ordinary plunger on the toilet or sink — a few firm pumps solve a surprising amount — unscrewing and emptying the trap under the sink (bucket underneath), and clearing hair from the shower drain. Baking soda with vinegar honestly belongs in the maintenance category: it helps against smells and grease film, but it rarely shifts a real clog.

What to leave on the shelf: chemical drain cleaner. With a fully blocked drain the product sits on top of the clog, rarely solves the problem, and then leaves an aggressive liquid in the pipe that the technician has to jet through with high-pressure equipment. If you have already used some, always say so in your request — then the technician can protect themselves.

Call a drain company directly at these signals: several drains gurgling or failing at once, sewage rising in the toilet, shower or a gully, a blockage that keeps returning after DIY attempts, or a problem outside (downpipe, gully, garden sewer). That points to a clog deeper in the soil stack or the sewer, where household tools simply don't reach.

The costs are manageable as long as you act in time: a sink or shower drain costs € 95-225, an emergency sewer blockage € 125-350 — the full rates are in the price index. In doubt, just submit a free request and describe the situation: a professional can often tell from the description whether it is a DIY job, and will honestly say so.