Sink drains are one of the most commonly clogged fixtures in homes. Food particles, hair, dirt, and a whole host of other debris are constantly being pushed down drains, so it’s no wonder they struggle to keep up. When your drain is clogged and creates a backup of nasty, stagnant water, you need the best drain cleaner to get it working properly again.
Green Gobbler is a better drain cleaner than Drano. While both cleaners use powerful and effective formulas to break down and remove debris from drains, Green Gobbler’s formula is free of bleach and sodium hydroxide, which makes it a much safer option than Drano.
Are you looking for a powerful drain cleaner that’s effective and safe? We’re going to review Drano and Green Gobbler, their formulas, and how effective each product is so you can see for yourself which is the better drain cleaner.
Drano
The first Drano product was invented by Harry Drackett in 1923. It was called Crystal Drano, and while the original formula has been altered over time, a version of it is still available today called Drano Kitchen Granules Clog Remover.
The company was sold to Bristol-Myers in 1965, and was then sold to SC Johnson in 1992, who remains in control of the company to this day. Drano comes in several formulas today, and is one of the most popular drain cleaners on the market.
What Types of Products Does Drano Offer?
Drano comes in many forms. Most of their products are either liquid, gel, or foaming drain cleaners, although they do still have a crystal version available, although it has a different name today.
All of Drano’s products are designed to remove clogs in your kitchen or bathroom. They even have a product available that’s made to prevent clogs from forming.
Here’s a list of the products Drano offers:
- Drano Max Gel Clog Remover
- Drano Kitchen Granules Clog Remover
- Drano Dual-Force Foamer Clog Remover
- Drano Foaming Disposal Strips
- Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner
- Drano Snake Plus Tool + Gel System
- Drano Max Build-Up Remover
- Drano Advanced Septic Treatment
- Drano Hair Buster Gel
- Drano Kitchen Gel
This is a solid variety of products for all your clogged drain needs. For the purposes of this comparison, we’re going to take a closer look at Drano’s most basic product- Drano
Liquid Drain Cleaner.
Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner 
Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner works effectively in garbage disposals, bathrooms, kitchens, and other drains such as laundry sinks. This product is highly rated on Amazon, with over 4 stars out of 5.
This product begins working as soon as it makes contact with the clog in your drain. Its powerful formula will work to dissolve and minimize the clog so it can be easily flushed away with a blast of hot water.
Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner is free of phosphates, which can cause harm to rivers and other bodies of water. It’s safe to leave in your drain overnight for tough clogs, contains an ingredient that protects pipes from corrosion, and is safe to use with septic systems.
How to Use Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner?
This product is fairly easy to use, although you want to make sure you’re following the directions properly. Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner is full of powerful ingredients and should always be handled with care.
Follow these easy steps to use Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner:
1. Press down on the childproof cap of the drain cleaner and turn it counterclockwise.
2. Pour the Drano into the affected drain. For slow-moving drains, use half of a 32oz bottle. For extremely slow-moving clogs or completely blocked drains, pour in the entire 32oz bottle of Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner.
3. Allow the cleaner to work for 15 minutes for mild-to-moderate clogs. For severe clogs, allow the product to sit for 30 minutes.
4. Flush with hot water.
5. If the clog isn’t resolved, repeat steps 2-4 again.
It’s also worth noting that Drano has some safety information they recommend their customers follow. You should avoid touching Drano directly, never use a plunger in the drain where you’ve used Drano, and be cautious using this product with garbage disposals. If the clog isn’t resolved in a garbage disposal with Drano, then contact a plumber and don’t turn your garbage disposal on because it could cause the cleaner to splash back at you.
What Are The Ingredients In Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner?
Drano uses a very powerful formula to break down and minimize clogs, so they can be easily flushed away by a burst of hot water after treatment. Here are the ingredients in Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner:
- Water
- Polydimethylsiloxane
- Sodium Silicate
- Sodium Hydroxide
- Sodium Hypochlorite
If you’re planning on using this product, then you should keep in mind that sodium hydroxide is a caustic ingredient, and sodium hypochlorite is bleach. That’s why it’s recommended not to touch Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner directly, and to be cautious whenever handling the product.
Is Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner Toxic?
According to the FHSA requirements, a product is considered toxic if it can cause harm to a person when swallowed, inhaled, or when it comes into contact with the skin. Since one of Drano Liquid Drain Cleaner’s ingredients is caustic, and another is bleach, which is also caustic, then this product is unquestionably toxic.
Read my related Drano articles:
- Liquid-Plumr vs Drano | What’s the Better Drain Cleaner?
- Zep Liquid Heat vs Drano | What’s Better?
- Why Can’t You Use Drano in a Toilet? (What to Do If You Did)
- Is Drano Bad for the Environment?
- How Long to Flush Drano with Hot Water
- How to Dispose of Drano?
- Can I Leave Drano Overnight?
- Does Drano Work in Standing Water?
- Is Drano Safe for Shower Drains?
- Does Drano Expire? Everything You Need to Know
Green Gobbler
Green Gobbler was created by EcoClean Solutions in 2008. Green Gobbler was developed as a biodegradable, eco-friendly alternative to the drain cleaners that were currently on the market.
For the first several years of Green Gobbler’s availability, it was used only in commercial buildings. Once this product proved its success as an effective, reliable, and eco-friendly drain cleaner, it was put on the market for everyday customers.
Home Depot entered into a partnership with Green Gobbler around the time they were created, and you can find their products in most Home Depot stores and through their website.
What Types of Products Does Green Gobbler Offer?
Green Gobbler saw plenty of success with their original drain cleaner product and decided to expand their product line to include stain removers and weed killers. Here’s a list of the types of products Green Gobbler currently has available:
- Drain Cleaners
- Drain Maintence
- Septic
- Weed Killers
- Snow & Ice Melt
- Other Cleaners (for inside & outside the home)
This brand has expanded quite a bit since it’s original drain cleaner product! For the purposes of this Drano vs Green Gobbler comparison, we’re going to focus on their original drain cleaner product- Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver.
Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver
Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver uses a high-density formula that can sink through standing water to reach any clog. This product is perfect for eliminating clogs caused by soap scum, organic matter, toilet paper, grease, and personal care items.
This product is safe to use with all types of pipes and septic systems. It’s free of fumes and bleach, biodegradable, and super easy to use. You can use this product in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry sinks, and anywhere you have a clogged drain!
Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon, so the majority of customers appear to be satisfied! It’s an effective, eco-friendly alternative to most drain cleaners on the market.
How to Use Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver?
It’s very easy to use this product and, unlike Drano, you can even use it in your toilet! The instructions are slightly different depending on where you need to use it, so make sure you read our directions carefully.
For all sinks and tubs:
1. Unscrew the cap on one chamber.
2. Pour one chamber slowly into the drain.
3. Let the product sit for 15 minutes. For tougher clogs, allow the product to sit overnight.
4. Flush with hot tap water for 5 minutes.
For toilets:
1. Unscrew the cap on both chambers.
2. Pour both chambers slowly into the toilet.
3. Let the product sit for at least two hours. Allow the product to sit overnight for best results.
4. Once the water has receded to a normal level, flush the toilet.
That’s it! You can clear your sink, tub, or toilet of any clog with four easy steps.
What Are The Ingredients In Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver?
Green Gobbler is free of bleach, and this product is made to be biodegradable. Some of the ingredients in Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver aren’t specifically named because they’re considered a trade secret, but we still know the basics. Here are the ingredients in this product:
- Water
- Non-ionic surfactants
- A defoamer
- Benziothiazolinone
- Sodium hydroxide
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Mthylisothiazolinone
- Monopotassium phosphate
- Dipotassium phosphate
- Viable bacteria culture
- Fragrance
Many of their ingredients are preservatives, but the rest are all designed to eliminate and minimize clogs. The viable bacteria culture helps eat away at organic materials and is one of the many reasons this product is considered eco-friendly and biodegradable.
Is Green Gobbler Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver Toxic?
This product is rated as having low-toxicity. Some of the ingredients do have the potential to cause minor corrosive effects, and this can be harmful if you come into direct contact with the product and allow it to sit on your skin. Make sure you handle this product with caution, and immediately wash your hands if you accidentally get some on your skin.
Comparison Questions (Drano vs Green Gobbler):
Is Drano or Green Gobbler More Affordable?
Affordability is a huge selling point for most products, and drain cleaners are no exception. Since we reviewed liquid drain cleaners offered by Drano and Green Gobbler, the best way to compare their prices is to break it down to the cost per fluid ounce.
Here’s a table showing this break down:
| Product | Price Per Fluid Ounce |
| Green Gobbler | $0.37 |
| Drano | $0.18 |
As you can see, Green Gobbler is nearly twice the price per fluid ounce as Drano is! This is a pretty big difference, especially if you need to buy drain cleaner multiple times a year. If affordability is your main concern, then you’ll want to stick with Drano.
Which Drain Cleaner is More Powerful?
Drano and Green Gobbler have similar reviews across various internet platforms, and each product appears to work very effectively. However, the way they work is very different.
Drano works by utilizing caustic ingredients such as bleach and sodium hydroxide to break down and eliminate tough clogs. While these ingredients are very toxic, they also happen to be incredibly effective!
Green Gobbler uses an active bacteria culture as their main clog dissolving ingredient. This works very well, especially for organic clogs, and it’s safer for the environment.
Basically, Green Gobbler is most effective for organic matter that’s caused clogs, while Drano is going to be the more powerful and effective cleaner for other substances.
Which Drain Cleaner is More Environmentally Friendly?
Comparing whether Drano or Green Gobbler is the more environmentally friendly drain cleaner is pretty easy. Drano uses caustic ingredients such as bleach and sodium hydroxide, which have been proven to have damaging effects on aquatic eco-systems.
Green Gobbler’s formula is biodegradable and free of those caustic ingredients. They use an active bacterial culture to break down and eliminate clogs. Green Gobbler’s products are safer for you and the environment!
Related Questions:
Can I Use Drano After Green Gobbler?
While Green Gobbler’s ingredients are safer than Drano’s, they still contain some powerful chemicals. You should never mix cleaning products that contain powerful chemicals because you could cause a serious, and potentially dangerous, chemical reaction.
If Green Gobbler didn’t work to remove your clog and you’re considering trying Drano, then your best bet is to call a plumber to fix the problem instead. There could still be some Green Gobbler left in your drain, and you don’t want to add Drano in case it causes a reaction.
Can Green Gobbler Damage Pipes?
Green Gobbler won’t damage your pipes. It’s perfectly safe to use on all types of pipes ranging from plastic to copper. Their products are all biodegradable and free of caustic chemicals, so it shouldn’t cause any damage to your drain, pipes, or septic system.
How Often Can I Use Green Gobbler?
It’s safe to use Green Gobbler’s products once a week to keep up on your drain’s maintenance. If you have a drain that’s particularly problematic, then it could benefit from a daily 2oz or 4oz dose of Green Gobbler’s Liquid Drain Clog Dissolver.
The Verdict– Which is Better?
Green Gobbler and Drano are two powerful drain cleaners that work in very different ways. Drano uses caustic chemicals in their formula to eliminate tough clogs, while Green Gobbler uses a biodegradable formula that’s excellent at removing clogs made of organic materials. Green Gobbler is safer for you and the environment, and it’s still very effective at removing clogs. Protect your drains, yourself, and the environment by using Green Gobbler products!
Jamie is the Founder of My Home Dwelling. He is a homeowner and enjoys sharing his homeowner tips with others. He has real estate experience working as a new home construction Realtor. Jamie has worked on numerous residential construction sites helping with interior and exterior renovations. He loves refinishing furniture, DIY home projects, and sharing his knowledge online.