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It is okay to use a drain auger on a toilet, just make sure you are using the correct tip size. The auger is a plumbing snake with a protective sleeve to protect the porcelain toilet bowl from getting scratched. Using too large of an auger can cause the snake to loop back and damage the inside of the drain and plumbing.

If you've discovered a rather frightening buildup of brown and black gunk below your shower cover, you're not alone. The smelly sludge is often a collection of mildew and biofilm. Biofilm comes from the breakdown of soap scum, hair, skin cells, and bacteria that collects during shower time. It's quite common in a humid space and relatively easy to clean with a gentle DIY cleaning solution such as baking soda and vinegar.

A small amount of diluted bleach is okay to pour down a garbage disposal. As part of your weekly garbage disposal maintenance, use 1 teaspoon of bleach with your concoction of ice cubes and lemon peels. Turn on the disposal and run the water until the blades chop up the ice cubes.

Any more bleach in your disposal can harden oils and greases in your drain, which can cause problems. Always wear gloves when working with bleach, and know that you really don’t need bleach at all—vinegar, baking soda, salt, and ice should do the trick.

Snaking a drain can take as little as a few minutes for small, simple clogs, up to two hours or more for tough clogs located further down the drain line. For tougher clogs, a professional drain cleaner can likely get the job done much more quickly because they have the necessary tools and expertise. However, your drain cleaning pro might not be able to give you a firm time estimate until inspecting the clog and its surrounding plumbing.