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Choosing the Right Commercial Drain Cleaner: Biological vs. Emulsifier
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
drain care
Choosing the Right Commercial Drain Cleaner: Biological vs. Emulsifier
Preventative drain maintenance is an effective way to avoid clogs, backups, pipe damage, and other problems in commercial drains. The benefits speak for themselves; the only question is what is the best commercial drain cleaner for your facility? Your two main options are emulsifiers and biologicals, but without a clear guide, it can be hard to know which route to go.
At State Chemical, we manufacture and distribute biological and chemical solutions for various applications, including drain care. You only want the best for your facility, and finding the right drain cleaner is a part of this mission.
To help you determine which drain cleaner you need, we will explain how emulsifiers work, how biologicals work, and which facilities should use each. After reading, you’ll know whether emulsifying or biological drain cleaners are the best choice for your facility’s drains.
Why are Commercial Drain Cleaners Important?
A large percentage of drain problems result from fat, oil, and grease (FOG) buildup. Anytime a drain is used, FOGs enter the drain to some extent. This can be cooking oil getting dumped down, food scraps mistakenly slipping through during dishwashing, or even body oil getting washed down the sink when you wash your hands.
When you use a drain, these types of drainage can be reduced, but some level of FOG drainage is unavoidable. And when FOGs go down the sink, they cool and harden, clinging to the sides of the pipes. The more FOGs that go down the drain, the thicker this buildup becomes. Over time, this can cause slow drains, clogs, backups, and pipe damage.
This is where commercial drain cleaners enter the scene. They work to preventatively reduce this buildup so that your facility can avoid issues down the line. Usually, they will come in one of two forms: emulsifiers or biologicals.
How Does an Emulsifying Commercial Drain Cleaner Work?
Emulsifying drain cleaners work by liquefying FOG buildup to help it pass through the pipes with the water. This way, FOGs flow easily through the drain system before they can ever form buildup.
To apply an emulsifying drain cleaner, you can either pour it down your drain by hand on a regular basis, or you can attach it to an automated drain pump for programmed dispersal into your drain. Either method can be effective as long as it’s done at the correct interval.
An important note when it comes to emulsifiers is that while they can be incredibly effective, they sometimes simply move buildup further down the pipeline. This is because as the pipes go on, the emulsifiers become diluted, which can cause the liquefied FOGs to resolidify.
For this reason, emulsifiers are also banned in many municipalities (as this can cause issues for the larger city sewer system), so you should check your local laws before purchasing an emulsifying drain cleaner.
How Does a Biological Commercial Drain Cleaner Work?
Meanwhile, biological drain cleaners use “good” bacteria to consume FOG buildup, which they digest into CO₂ and H₂O (air and water).
Once released regularly into your drain, these bacteria will build a colony in it, controlling FOG levels and keeping the pipes clear as long as conditions remain livable (meaning they must have a food source, temperatures of at least 40°F and no more than 120°F, and a pH of 6–9).
As with emulsifying drain cleaners, biological drain cleaners can be applied to drains by hand or via an automated drain pump. Consistent treatment is vital to keep FOGs under control.
Biological drain cleaners are also slower-acting than emulsifiers, which is something to consider. However, once they are fully established, you shouldn’t notice a difference in performance between the two products.
What Facilities Should Use an Emulsifying Commercial Drain Cleaner?
Generally, it’s best to use an emulsifying drain cleaner in facilities that experience consistently high FOG levels.
Take a fast-food restaurant, for example. In a fast-paced environment with constant loads of dishes, greasy fryers, and food circulation, there will be a lot of FOGs going down the drain—and because of the nature of the facility, this isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
In a situation like this, emulsifying drain cleaners are probably the best solution because they work very quickly and consistently. This makes them a top choice for food service, healthcare, food processing plants, and more.
Additionally, if your facility does not meet the criteria of livable conditions for bacteria, emulsifiers can be an effective alternative to biologicals.
What Facilities Should Use a Biological Commercial Drain Cleaner?
Biologicals are typically best used in facilities with medium-to-high FOG levels. This means that biologicals are effective in most facilities with FOG problems—they are just slower-acting, so they may be less effective than emulsifiers in very severe cases.
However, when you can afford to wait for them to activate, biologicals are an effective long-term solution.
Consider a hotel. Here, the facility will see various FOGs from various guests, but without a high influx of grease from cooking or anything of the like, FOG buildup isn’t expected to be extreme. This is where biologicals could be perfect for preventing clogs consistently without constantly dealing with a severe flood of buildup.
Under these guidelines, biological drain cleaners can be the perfect solution for education, office buildings, wellness centers, hospitality, apartments, and more.
Additionally, if emulsifiers are outlawed in your region, biologicals can be an effective alternative.
Learn How State Chemical Can Provide the Best Drain Maintainer for Your Needs
You know you want to prevent drain issues, but it can be difficult to know what the best product is for you. Now that you know whether emulsifying or biological drain cleaners will perform better in your facility, watch these videos to learn about State Chemical’s emulsifying and biological drain maintainers, Grease-B-Gone® and Ecolution Drain Line Maintainer®.
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