Plumber's snake

If the clog is caused by a dense, but shreddable obstacle, such as tree roots or glass wool, the auger might break it up enough to enable flow.

A small, lightweight obstruction might be snagged or corkscrewed by the auger, enabling the operator to pull it away.

As the auger cable rotates, it also flails against the interior walls of the pipe, scraping off minerals and oil.

A plastic or rubber boot on the end of the rigid tubing protects the finish of the visible porcelain.

His wife named the invention, because the cable and blades rotated as they cut through tree roots inside sewer pipe.