Know your enemy, know your clog—that's how unclogging gets simpler, says Ed Del Grande, master plumber and host of "Ed the Plumber," which airs on the DIY Network. He sorts clogs into five basic types:

Hair and soap. That's why showers and tubs clog. Solution: screwdriver and grabbing tool.
Paper. Put too much down a toilet and it clogs. Solution: plunger.
Grease. The single most common reason for kitchen clogs. "The day after Thanksgiving is our biggest day of the year," says Roto-Rooter spokesman Paul Abrams—and grease poured down drains is a prime cause. Solution: Snakes are good at dislodging grease.
Roots. The big worry with outside drain pipes which can get clogged by roots hunting for water. Solution: depends on how advanced the blockage is (see the main story).
Miscellaneous. Children's toys get flushed down toilets, celery gets shoved into garbage disposals, and rings sometimes go down bathroom sinks. Solution: Augers, snakes, plungers, sometimes a screwdriver (to get at a trap, where—hopefully—that ring will be found). .