I was surprised when the plumber lit a match and flushed it down the toilet. But the method was effective.

It’s rare to find a box of matches in city apartments these days, but I stocked up on them when I found an unpleasant surprise in my closet. Normally I prefer to leave repairs to professionals, but this called for something different.

Noticing a terrible smell coming from the bathrooms, I tried everything: detergents, scented tablets, intensive cleaning. But nothing happened. Finally I called a plumber.

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