Finally found an environmentally friendly solution for drain probs!

I really hate using draino type products, but sometimes our drain gets soooo blocked or slow running as I lose hair at a fast rate and my daughter also has thick long hair... but this month I found something which I am happy to use!

It cost $20 for a tub, but it's called Actizyme, is non-toxic and pet/child/environmentally friendly. The product is pellets and are harmless but useful micro organisms and enzymes which naturally assist in the breakdown of hair, soap, grease etc in drains. It does take longer than draino - a few days at least - but I am so much happier using this. I think its best to get the problem early with this though, as I have been tempted to use something stronger, as slow running drains can get worse very quick, and it's quite bad in the bathroom about now. You use it for maintenance too, so should have done this long ago. But for those interested - here's a solution and it also helps eliminate odours :)

DP is a tradey and he uses this ALL THE TIME.... i had never really looked at it, just knew thats what we had.. am so glad to know it's a better option.. Thanks Kel.

Does it work well in two story houses?

Great that he uses that and not cheap toxic stuff!

Beema ours is 2 storey and the drain in my bathroom kept getting blocked (loosing hair while Bfing... ewww) and it's done the trick... you can also use it when it's not blocked to keep things at bay!

Great thanks Zarava!!!

I use this and is good but you do have to be patient because it doesn't work quickly like draino, but if you keep putting a few pellets in does seem to keep blockages at bay.

I've been raving about Actizyme for a along time now. Great to use regularly on septics & takes care of ponky smells in the bathrooms you don't use very often too.

BUT...if you don't get any joy after a few days with Actizyme, get the water board people out to check your sewer line (there may be roots in the line) and then the plumber to check your end of the sewer line. Apparently you should get your pipes cleaned out every couple of years so in older houses it's often overdue. We've found out the hard day when the sewerage "overflow" (= poo water) came pouring out the inspection point on our back verandah.

do they sell it at coles?

Im sure, I got it from a spermarket myself, where the draino is.

If you're renting though, who's responsibility is it to get the pipes sorted? Im pretty sure its blocked due to hair mainly but I don't know.

Yep I got it from Woolworths, where the draino is, and think have seen in Coles too.

Pretty much every supermarket sells it, it costs more than the draino but if you're dosing small amounts regularly, then it lasts quite a long time.

Kelly, we rented out our house for a few years, and if a plumber had been called out (for anything really, other than a toilet blockage caused by flushing the wrong sorts of things, or a kitchen sink blockage caused by putting too much food/oil down there) I would have needed to pay for it. Having hair down your drains is normal, it happens as part of normal use of the property, so it's worth checking with your rental agent about getting some plumbing maintenance done. Getting it done earlier rather than later could potentially save damage & clean up & 24 hr emergency plumber costs, kwim?

Ah cool thanks :) I sent an email asking about who looks after it anyways... I have no idea if it is hair, it was just a guess. But all three are blocked/very slow running - shower, sink and bath.

Thanks for this thread Kelly, I'll be getting some next week then! My hair gets into all the drains and with our bathroom open to our master bedroom it's essential that those drains don't smell! They haven't gotten too bad as we built our house so the pipes/drains aren't too old but we do need somthing enviro friendly to put down there to keep it under control.

Excellent, thanks Kell.
We're in a new rental and the drains are very average...