Mole pipe cleaner - composition, instructions for use

To eliminate blockages in sewer pipelines, various methods of mechanical, hydraulic and chemical pipe cleaning are used; to implement the latter option, a wide range of household products are sold in the retail chain. One of the popular household products, widely advertised in the media, is Mole for cleaning pipes, known to a huge number of consumers.

If the owners of an apartment or private house choose chemical compounds for sewer cleaning, they first have to compare about two dozen brands of drugs with each other in terms of effectiveness and cost. Also, when choosing a suitable product, they consider the scope of its application, its components, consumer reviews of a specific brand and manufacturer - a product under the same brand may have significant differences in quality from different manufacturers.

Fig. 1 Sewage pipes in the kitchen and bathroom

What is he like?

The “Mole” sewer pipe cleaner dissolves residual household waste that creates blockages in drains.

Fatty deposits accumulate in siphons and on the bends of pipes, on which sand and other dirt sticks, hair, animal hair and fluff remaining after washing things collect, lumps of toilet paper and small particles of food get stuck. The lumen of pipelines is also narrowed by inorganic impurities and salts that make up hard water.

“Mole” can dissolve any clots that impair the permeability of the sewer system.

By removing existing obstacles to the movement of water, the drug stops the process of decay of organic matter, accompanied by unpleasant odors.

Traditional methods

Cleaning pipes with baking soda and vinegar

If you don’t have a special chemical composition at hand, you can prepare a product for cleaning clogged pipes with your own hands:

• The easiest way is to heat a bucket of water almost to a boil and pour it down the drain. Hot water will dissolve the fat and the pipe clearance will increase. This is enough for light blockages.
• Pour half a pack of soda down the drain, followed by 1 tbsp. table vinegar. The reaction of quenching soda with vinegar will help partially dissolve and loosen the cork. After this, the pipes are washed with water.

Home remedies help, but are less effective than chemicals.

Purpose and scope

The “Mole” plumbing cleaner is used to dissolve dirt accumulated in pipes, which prevents the water from draining completely. You can also use the product preventively to keep the pipes clean at all times.

Experts confirm the safety of the drug for cleaning cast iron and plastic products.

“Mole” effectively cleans sink and kitchen sink drains, dissolves dirt in siphons, and breaks through complex blockages in the toilet. Thanks to its aggressive effect on pathogenic microorganisms, the drug prevents the development of infection and makes the air cleaner.

Video on the topic

Late in the evening, when I was calmly sitting on the women's website “Beautiful and Successful,” my neighbor and best friend Lenka came running to me: “I have an emergency!” I poured some borscht into the toilet and that’s it: the toilet is clogged - you don’t know how to unclog it?

- Well, I got boiling water once. You take a pan of boiling water and pour it straight into the toilet. Have you tried it? “No,” Lenka quickly left.

Composition of the cleaning product

The composition of “Mole” differs slightly from different manufacturers. But the basis of the drug is always alkali, which is otherwise called caustic soda or caustic soda. The chemical formula is NaOH.

Its concentration is usually 15-30%, but for complex long-term blockages they produce a product with a high caustic content - up to 60%.

The next required ingredients of "Mole" are surfactants (surfactants). They are important components of any detergent or cleaning product. These components, occupying 5-10% of the volume, increase the effectiveness of alkali by softening lumps of dirt and helping to dissolve salts contained in hard water.

Its liquid “Mole” composition must include purified water.

In addition, the developers enrich the cleaner with aromatic fragrances, making the product more ergonomic.

Some manufacturers of pipe cleaners add other components to the composition:

• sodium hydrochloride, which kills pathogens;
• organic acid, which more effectively dissolves salt deposits inside pipes;
• caustic potassium is an alkali that enhances the effect of caustic soda.

Hope 2: Clean the toilet with a plunger

- Don’t you have a plunger? This is a little thing for clearing blockages in sinks and toilets. A wooden stick with a rubber cap on it. When you press, you get a vacuum shock that pushes the air. Under the influence of the impact, the blockage moves further along the pipe, breaking through the toilet, I advised.

How to use a plunger?

Information for those who have a plunger (an inexpensive and necessary thing) is available in the house. How to use a plunger to break through a toilet?

1. There should be some water in the toilet. Typically, if you are looking for ways to unclog a clogged toilet, the water in the toilet is standing.
2. The plunger must be placed so that it adheres as tightly as possible to the drain hole. This is necessary in order to get a strong push.
3. Press down on the handle of the plunger and pull it out as quickly as possible. This way you create water hammer.
4. Repeat the movements until the water begins to flow freely. As a rule, 3 to 5 pushes are done in one approach.

Professional plumbers have pneumatic plungers that resemble a bicycle pump. They quickly and effectively remove clogs by pushing them through the sewer system. For organic clogs caused by food, breaking through the toilet with a plunger is not difficult.

- I don’t have a plunger - I could try it. ABOUT! Let's call Sashka (our best friend and classmate). Still a man!

Lenka immediately grabbed the phone:

- Hello, Sanya, hello! Don't you know how to unclog a toilet without a plunger?

Types and forms of release of the drug mole

Varieties of “Mole” for sewer cleaning differ in the degree of their impact on accumulated contaminants. From the product labels you can determine for what purpose it is best to use the drug. The buyer can choose from “Mole” in the form of granules, powder, liquid or gel.

Gel

The viscous structure of the pipe cleaning gel does not allow the alkaline components included in the composition to quickly dissolve in water. The drug envelops the contamination, softens it and gradually destroys it. It is especially effective for eliminating dirt in hard-to-reach places and for removing toilet blockages.

Cleaning agent "Mole" will dissolve all organic residues.

By staying on the walls for a long time, it will clean the pipeline of mineral deposits. The consumption of the gel is very small - a liter bottle is enough for several cleanings.

In addition, it is less harmful to humans and surrounding objects - it is difficult to splash or accidentally spill. With regular use, the gel-like “Mole” will keep your pipes clean for a very long time.

Liquid

“Mole”, available in dry form, is also suitable for cleaning sewer pipes. In terms of the nature of their effect, products in granules and powder are almost the same.

But unlike liquid drugs, they are convenient in that their volume is designed for one time.

Both options are great for cleaning pipes with complex configurations because they dissolve more slowly and act on contamination for a longer time.

What are the differences between different types?

The most popular remedy for blockages, which can expand the lumen of pipes and prevent the accumulation of dirt, has the word “Master” on the label. If the prefix “Bio” is added to the name, then the drug contains antibacterial components that dissolve small food particles and disinfect the pipe. This “Mole” is suitable for cleaning drains and siphons of kitchen sinks.

If there are persistent contaminants on the bends of sewer pipes, products with a high alkali content are effective, for example “Professional”, “Active”, “Tornado”. And in case of obstruction of the toilet, it is better to choose a drug whose name contains the word “Turbo”.

How it works

As can be seen from the composition, at its core, a liquid or gel for blockages of this type is a solution of inorganic alkali, which also contains active additives.

To understand how such a composition can deal with various deposits, one should consider the places where they accumulate and their nature.

So, most often blockages occur in places such as:

• Pipe bends;
• Various seams, for example where two knees meet;
• Siphons;
• Some materials that are not smooth, such as seals, rubber gaskets, and so on;
• If we are talking about metal sewer systems, then another place where dirt accumulates is any joint that has tow.

It can be seen that blockages most often occur where large food debris can simply get caught on something, that is, joints, protrusions, drops, unevenness and roughness, and so on.

It should also be taken into account that vegetable fats serve as an adhesive solution, connecting collagen fibers together. They, in turn, “stick” other substances to themselves, that is, over time they become overgrown.

So, the substances contained in the cleaning product soften them, and some even dissolve them. Smaller substances are simply washed out of the sewer pipes under the pressure of running water.

The following substances cause the greatest difficulties:

• Fats, both vegetable and animal;
• Proteins;
• Salts of various fatty acids;
• Hair, fish scales and others, that is, collagen fibers.

It must be said that the composition is mostly aimed at softening and dissolving these substances, since they are the basis of almost any blockage.

Advantages and disadvantages of "Mole"

The Krot pipe cleaner has several recognized advantages:

• eliminates any blockages, and the product with a high alkali content dissolves the most complex and hardened clots that have accumulated over several years;
• due to its bactericidal properties, it is very effective for cleaning siphons under kitchen sinks;
• has a low price and has a long shelf life.

The disadvantages include a long wait for the cleaning result (up to two hours), an aggressive effect on the skin and respiratory system, as well as the need to thoroughly ventilate the room after treatment.

Owners often ask whether Krot can be used to clean plastic pipes. Manufacturers claim that the drug does not damage polyvinyl chloride. The bottles into which the product is poured are made of the same material as the pipes.

User reviews

Natalya, Moscow : “I don’t really understand these special products, so when the bathroom was clogged, I went to the store and took the first thing that came to hand. It turned out to be Tiret Turbo. Probably the advertising had an influence... I filled it in according to the instructions. I turned on the water, it seemed that the blockage had resolved, but two days later everything clogged again. I don't recommend taking it. Expensive and ineffective."

Marina, Moscow : “I live in a private house. Always a problem with pipes. And not only with sewer pipes, the chimney also periodically becomes clogged, but that’s not about that now. Before that, I used Bagi Pothan for blockages, but then it ran out, and I just had a cataclysm in the kitchen. I ran to a neighbor, she gave me a bag of “Mr. Muscle”. I fell asleep and after a few minutes everything had already dissolved, the water ran like a stream. It turns out that cheaper remedies can be effective.”

Irina, Moscow : “My mother recommended Deboucher to me. I had never used it before; I preferred powder products in sachets. And he did a great job removing the blockage. Now the bottle is at hand, I use it for prevention when I need to clean the pipes.”

Instructions for use

The drug must be used in accordance with the instructions for use written on the label:

• 250 ml of the product in liquid form or a mixture of the contents of one sachet of dry substance and 200 ml of water is poured into the drain of a plumbing fixture or into a pipe;
• wait 1.5-2 hours;
• rinse with a strong stream of warm water;
• if the water does not drain well enough, the process is repeated.

Using an insufficient amount of the product will not completely eliminate the obstruction of the pipe, and its excess may pollute the surrounding air too much with decomposition products.

A short educational program from the plumber Uncle Misha

Before leaving, Uncle Misha shared some of the wisdom of his work, which we will tell the readers of sympaty.net about. Before you choose a method for unclogging a clogged toilet, you need to figure out why the blockage occurred.

1. If the toilet is clogged due to an object getting into the drain, for example, a floor rag or a bag, then it is better to use a special plumbing cable (the one that Uncle Misha came with on his shoulder). The tip of the cable is inserted into the toilet and pushed forward, rotating in a circle strictly in one direction. If compaction is felt, a push is made. Most likely, this is where a foreign object is stuck. When the blockage is cleared, you need to pour boiling water into the toilet. We didn't have to use this method.
2. To remove organic waste from the toilet, it is enough to use chemicals that will dissolve the resulting blockage. This method will be effective if the toilet is clogged with food debris.
3. Well, the most popular and effective way, which in most cases helps to break through a clogged toilet, is to use a plunger or a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off.

This is how Lenka and I learned some of the tricks of working as a plumber.

Precautionary measures

When using "Mole", according to the manual, you must wear the same protective equipment as when in contact with other caustic chemical compounds: thick rubber gloves, a thick apron and a respirator.

It is necessary to remove children and pets from the room, and after completing the cleaning process, thoroughly ventilate the room.

In case of accidental contact of the drug with the skin, be sure to wash the affected area with tap water and lubricate the burn site with a restorative cream. If the product gets on the mucous membrane, you should immediately rinse it with plenty of water and call a doctor. If you swallow Mole, drink plenty of clean water and call an ambulance.

Hope 1: Clean the toilet with boiling water

I ran after her. A friend put on a saucepan and an electric kettle at the same time.

- You just need water - real boiling water! – I encouraged her. – And your borscht will definitely be crowded.

Armed with gloves and a ladle, Lenka scooped up most of the water from the toilet and reduced its volume. With faith and hope to overcome the blockage, we quickly poured boiling water. The water gurgled and gurgled - and... nothing broke through. The second and third attempts were also unsuccessful.

conclusions

They are disappointing. We are dealing with a product for not very savvy housewives who cannot disassemble the siphon under the sink on their own.

In most cases, cleaning sewer pipes with a regular cable and rinsing with plenty of hot water will be much more effective.

The only 100% effective remedy in front of you

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