Had a similar issue last month—plunger just made things worse. Ended up pulling out a hairball the size of a small animal with a cheap drain snake. Gross, but drain's been perfect since...lesson learned, I guess.
Had a similar experience recently. Plunger just pushed everything deeper, and the snake ended up being the hero. But heads up—cheap snakes can kink or break easily if you're not careful (learned that the hard way...). Now I keep a sturdier one handy, saves hassle in the long run. Definitely worth having around for emergencies.
Yeah, plungers have betrayed me more times than I care to admit. Had a weekend disaster a while back—tried plunging like crazy, ended up with water everywhere except down the drain. Finally caved and borrowed my neighbor's drain snake. Worked like a charm, but it was one of those flimsy coil ones, and sure enough, ended up bending it outta shape. Of course, I replaced it with a sturdier version (lesson learned).
But funny side note: my neighbor swears by pouring baking soda and vinegar down drains regularly. Claims it prevents clogs altogether, so no plungers or snakes needed. Can't say it's completely foolproof (been there, tried that), but honestly, since I started doing it monthly, I've had fewer issues overall. Plus, it's eco-friendly and way less gross.
Still keep a solid snake handy though, just in case. Better safe than ankle-deep in mystery water again...
I've had my fair share of plunger battles too—honestly, they're overrated. Last year, after a particularly stubborn clog, I spent nearly an hour plunging away, only to end up with a sore arm and zero progress. Eventually, I gave in and bought a decent drain snake, and it cleared the blockage in minutes. Haven't looked back since.
As for the baking soda and vinegar trick, I've tried it occasionally, and while it does seem to help with minor buildup, it's definitely not a miracle cure. Still, it's cheap and harmless enough to do regularly, so why not? But yeah, nothing beats having a sturdy drain snake handy for those unexpected plumbing nightmares. It's saved me from calling a plumber more times than I can count...
Drain snakes are definitely the way to go for stubborn clogs. I used to swear by plungers until one night my kitchen sink backed up right before a dinner party. Spent half an hour plunging like crazy, water splashing everywhere, and nothing budged. Finally grabbed my dad's old drain snake from the garage—five minutes later, problem solved. Plungers have their place, sure, but when things get serious, a snake saves you a ton of frustration (and cleanup).
