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Can You Put Drano in Washer? (All You Need to Know)

Sudden malfunction with your washer’s drainage system is nothing unusual. It can happen due to many reasons. One of the most common problems with washing machines is a sudden blockage and overflowing drain. 

It can be either a simple drain pipe blockage or a clogged main sewer line. 

The solution depends on the cause and type of obstruction. The blockage can be cleared away manually with the help of a snaking tool or you can use chemical solutions like Drano.

Can you put Drano in washer?

You can put Drano only in the washer drain to get rid of blockages, but it shouldn’t be your first choice whenever the drain blocks. You should not put Drano in the washer or washtub as it can be damaging. Drano is a very strong solution that dissolves and clears away blockage. 

Now the blockage in the washer drain mostly happens because of the oil, grime, and residues from soap, detergent, and lint. Unless there’s a root problem with the drainage system, the blockage can be very easily taken care of by a snaking tool or a chemical clog remover. 

Drano is an American brand that manufactures drain cleaner solutions in both gel and liquid form. You can get either one of the two types depending on the obstruction you are facing. The using method and time change with the type of the machine as well as the obstruction.

Not all washers come with pipes that can handle the strength of Drano and can get damaged in the process. You must go by the instruction manual that comes with the washing machine to check if the drainpipe can handle the strength of Drano or not. 

Also, you should not leave drano overnight or any longer than the specified time, or else it can cause damage to the pipe. Drano can damage the seals of the washtub if it gets in contact with it. This is why you should never put Drano into the washer. 

Is it safe to put Drano in the washer outlet?

You can put Drano in the washer outlet but not in the washtub as it can be damaging to it. You won’t find any directions or guidelines on the product’s label or their website regarding its use for washing machines. 

But, some users recommend using Drano in the washer outlet to get rid of an unexpected clog when the snaking tool or hot water doesn’t help. 

Since Drano is a very strong solution, it is safe to not consider Drano as the first choice when there’s a clog in the washer’s outlet. There are many safer ways to remove clogs in the washer’s outlet. 

For soap and grime buildup, you can pour some salt followed by hot boiling water to clear them.

If there’s a missing piece of clothes that you believe got stuck in the washer’s drain, don’t use Drano as it will worsen the situation. Try to get the cloth out by other safer means. You can also take the help of a small or long drain snaking tool. 

Can you put Drano down a washing machine drain pipe? 

You can put Drano down a washing machine drain pipe. But the pipe has to be of the right type to handle the strength of Drano. Don’t forget to read the user manual of your washing machine to determine the type of drain pipe and the drainage system of the machine. 

If the system is suitable for Drano, the idea is to pour all the Drano into the drain pipe and to wait for the specified time for it to dissolve what’s causing the obstruction. Then you can flush the drain with water. In most cases, it requires removing the washtub beforehand. 

After you have unclogged the washer’s drain with Drano, you should run the machine with another load of water and then go on with the laundry. This will help to flush out all the Drano out of the system. 

3 reasons why you can put Drano in the washer 

You can put Drano in the washer for the following reasons –

Dissolves soap scum and grime quickly:

If the blockage in your washer’s drain is caused by lint, grime, hair, gunk, and soap buildup, Drano can easily help you clear it away. Also, the result will be quite swift as Drano is quite a powerful solution. 

It dissolves the grime quickly and clears away the blockage in as little as only thirty minutes. 

Highly effective in clearing clogs:

Drano is a clog remover. It has the power to dissolve stubborn grime, oil, lint, and soap buildup. When you are unable to get rid of the clogs using hot water or a snaking tool, you can take the help of Drano. 

Easily available:

Drano is widely available in two forms – liquid and gel. You can get your hands on any of the two types to clear away your washer drain blockage. But, you should not use Drano too often as it can cause serious harm to the pipes. 

Take the help from a professional for a better solution. 

Can Drano unplug a washing machine?

Drano can help you unplug your washing machine. Drano should never be applied to the washtub. It is a chemical solution that is supposed to be used only to dissolve dirt, grime, and debris buildup in the drain. 

You can put Drano in your washing machine’s drainage pipe to unclog the blockage. 

If the buildup is caused by soap and grime, you can also try pouring hot water into the drainage pipe to see if it clears the blockage away. But it won’t work if you already run the machine with hot water all the time. 

Sometimes, the blockage happens due to ice buildup in the system. Hot water can help in such cases. 

However, if you’re going on with the plan of using Drano, make sure to read the product’s label and user guide of your machine carefully. 

How do you put Drano in a washer? 

The following steps will help you to put Drano in a washer safely –

Locate the drain:

First, it is important to locate the drain. For most washing machines, the drain is a pipe located behind the machine where the hose connects to it. It will be near the hot and cold water lines. The drain pipe is usually wider than the water lines. 

Also, the water lines will be marked blue and red to stand for cold and hot water respectively.

Detach the drain pipe:

You need to pour Drano directly into the pipe. To do that, you will have to detach the drain pipe from the washing machine. In some cases, the tube simply comes off when you pull it. But for some machines, you will have to unscrew the tube from the machine. 

Some water may come out of the tube and hose during this step. 

Pour Drano and wait for the specified time:

Now you can pour the entire container of Drano or as much needed according to the instructions into the drain tube. Wait for the specified time and flush out with water. Just make sure that you don’t let it sit for more than the time allotted or it can damage the pipe. 

Once you’re done, run the machine without the load once to clear away all the solutions. 

How to fix washing machine drain overflows with Drano?

Drano should not be your first choice to fix when a washing machine drain overflows. If there’s a root problem and you pour Drano into the tube, it can hardly do anything to the roots. First, you have to determine the cause of the overflow. 

Run the washing machine in the draining cycle and check for leaks. 

You can determine the type of obstruction by how long it takes for the drain to overflow. If it happens too soon, the clog is near and you can get rid of it with a snaking tool. If you feel like there’s an article or small cloth that got stuck in the drain, try to get it out by other means.

You can also try pouring hot water to see if it helps when you feel there’s grime and residues stuck in the system. Lastly, if nothing else helps and you feel like the clog is deep inside the drain, you can use Drano. 

But make sure to detach the pipe and pour it only into the tube. Don’t wait any longer than the specified time. 

Final Thoughts 

You can use Drano in the washer drain. Sudden clogging or slow draining is very common with washing machines. You can get rid of this problem by pouring Drano into the washer drain. Never put Drano in the washtub and run the machine with water before starting regular laundry after using Drano.