Drain Cleaning in Chicago: Help for Slow and Clogged Drains
Water pooling around your feet in the shower. A kitchen sink that just sits there full. A tub that takes forever. Clogs never pick a good time. Rodding Rooter does drain cleaning in Chicago for sinks, tubs, showers and kitchen lines, and for the main line those drains all feed into. We find the clog, clear it properly, and make sure the water is moving before we leave.
Our team has more than 20 years of experience and offers same-day service. Tell us what’s backing up and we’ll give you an honest estimate before we start.
Drain cleaning for every drain in the house
Drain cleaning means taking out the gunk that builds up inside the pipes so water can flow again. In most homes that’s grease and food scraps in the kitchen, hair and soap scum in the bathroom, and lint from the laundry. It narrows the pipe a little at a time, until one day the water just stops going down.
A plunger or a bottle of drain opener will sometimes move a soft clog a few feet, but it rarely gets rid of it. We use the same professional equipment as our drain rodding service to cut through the blockage and pull it free, then flush the line so it drains the way it should. If the clog turns out to be deeper than one fixture, we follow it back to the main drain and deal with that too.
Signs it's time to call someone
- Water collects around your feet in the shower or tub
- The kitchen sink drains slowly, even after hot water
- Drains gurgle when another fixture is running
- A bad smell keeps coming back from a sink or floor drain
- You’ve plunged the same drain more than twice this month
- Water appears at the basement floor drain when the washer empties
A slow drain caught early is almost always quicker and cheaper to fix than a full backup.
How a drain cleaning visit goes
Nobody wants a plumbing visit to take over the whole day. We try to get the clog out fast, keep your home clean, and leave you with a plain explanation of what happened.
1. We talk it through
Tell us which drains are slow, how long it’s been going on, and whether other fixtures are affected. That helps us bring the right tools.
2. We find the clog
We check the fixture, the trap and any nearby cleanouts to see whether the problem is in one branch or further down the line.
3. We clear the line
A cable sized for your pipe breaks up the grease, hair, soap scum and debris, and we pull out what we can instead of pushing it deeper.
4. We test it
We run water through the drain and the fixtures connected to it, to be sure everything empties quickly and quietly.
5. We give you a few tips
We explain what caused the clog and share a couple of habits that make a repeat less likely.
What we clean, and what usually causes the clog
Every home has a handful of drains that do most of the work. Here are the ones we deal with most, and what usually goes wrong in each.
Kitchen sinks
Cooking grease cools and sticks to the pipe walls, then grabs food scraps and coffee grounds. We cut through that layer so the sink and disposal drain properly again.
Bathroom sinks, tubs and showers
Hair wraps up with soap scum and toothpaste into a stubborn plug. We clear the trap and the branch line, not only the part you can see at the drain opening.
Floor and laundry drains
Lint, sediment and debris settle in basement floor drains and laundry lines. We rod them clear so the washer can empty without flooding the floor.
Heavy buildup
When grease or sludge coats the whole pipe, a cable alone may not be enough. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scrub the pipe walls, and we only suggest it when the line really needs it.
When every drain backs up, it's the main line
If one sink is slow, the clog is usually close to that fixture. But when the toilet gurgles as the tub drains, or dirty water rises through the basement floor drain, you’re probably looking at a main line clog. Every drain in the house empties into that one pipe, so when it blocks, water shows up at the lowest drain first.
That calls for cleaning the main, not another bottle of drain opener. We find your cleanout, clean the main sewer from the house toward the street, and test the flow afterward. It matters in Chicago, where plenty of homes still drain through older clay or cast-iron pipe. For heavy roots or repeat backups, our sewer rodding service and a camera inspection help pin down the cause.
Backups that only happen during heavy storms can be a different problem. Much of Chicago has a combined sewer system, and the City explains how intense rain can affect basements on its flooding prevention page. We’ll help you work out which one you have.
What you get from a professional cleaning
A proper cleaning does more than get water moving for another week. When it’s done right, you can expect a few things.
Faster drains right away. Sinks, tubs and showers empty the way they should.
Fewer repeat clogs. Removing the buildup, and not just poking a hole in it, keeps the drain clear longer.
No more smell. Clearing out the trapped food, hair and sludge gets rid of the odor at its source.
Less risk of water damage. Fixing a slow drain early helps head off overflows and basement backups.
Gentler on your pipes. Cleaning mechanically means you stop pouring harsh chemicals in again and again.
An actual answer. You’ll know what caused the clog and whether anything else needs attention.
To keep drains clear between visits, keep grease out of the kitchen sink, put hair catchers in the shower, and follow the EPA’s advice to only flush toilet paper.
Drain cleaning across Chicago
Chicago drains work hard. Many buildings still have older clay or cast-iron pipes, cold winters wear on aging joints, and busy kitchens in two-flats and apartment buildings send a lot of grease down shared lines. That’s why we see so many slow kitchen sinks, clogged shower drains and basement floor drain backups around the city.
We clean drains in single-family homes, two-flats and apartment buildings for owners and landlords, as well as restaurants, shops and offices that need their drains working during business hours. If you’re searching for drain cleaning near you from a Chicago address, we’re a local call away.
Why people in Chicago call us
Twenty years of this
Our Chicago team has more than two decades of experience clearing drains and sewer lines. More about us.
Same-day service
A clogged drain can’t wait until next week. Call early and we’ll work to get a technician to you that day.
A price before we start
You’ll hear the number first, with no hidden charges or surprise bills.
Tidy work
We protect the work area, clear the clog and clean up after ourselves before we go.
One call covers it
From hydro jetting to toilet and fixture repairs, we can usually handle the problem behind the clog in the same visit.
Let's get your drains moving
A slow drain only gets slower, and a blocked main line can turn into a basement backup quickly. Rodding Rooter Chicago offers drain cleaning with same-day service and honest estimates. Call (773) 588-1200 or request service online and tell us what’s going on.
Drain cleaning questions
It depends on which drain is clogged, how easy it is to reach, and what's causing the blockage. A single sink is usually a smaller job than a main line. We give you an honest estimate before any work begins, with no hidden charges.
Most single-fixture clogs are cleared in one visit. Main line cleaning takes longer, depending on the length of the line and what's blocking it.
Yes. Call early and we'll work to get someone to you that day, especially when a backup keeps you from using water.
A drain clog affects one fixture, like a single sink or shower. A main line clog affects several at once and often shows up as water rising from a basement floor drain, or a toilet gurgling when other drains run.
We'd skip it. Chemical openers rarely clear a tough clog completely, and a sink full of caustic water makes the job messier and less safe.
Common causes are tree roots in older pipe, grease buildup, wipes and other things that shouldn't be flushed, and sagging or damaged sections of pipe. A camera inspection can show exactly what's going on.
When heavy grease or sludge coats the inside of a pipe, jetting can clean it more thoroughly than a cable. We only recommend it when the line needs it.
Keep grease and food scraps out of the kitchen sink, use hair catchers in tubs and showers, flush only toilet paper, and call as soon as a drain starts slowing down.
Yes. We clean drains in homes, rental buildings, restaurants, stores and offices across Chicago.