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| it's wicked nice. |
Baking soda and vinegar works JUST AS WELL AS DRANO, guys! It unclogs and cleans your drain like a dream. This is a non-toxic, all-natural, cheap, and easy alternative to the hard stuff.
Like a rookie, I dumped too many coffee grounds into my sink and it clogged up TIGHT. I plunged it about a million times before finally coming to the conclusion that I'd have to use a hardcore drain opener. I really don't like to use those because they're just SOOOOOOO toxic/poisonous/caustic/etc.
Before giving in, though, I decided to try a remedy I'd found online. I didn't believe this method would be strong enough at first. Here it is:
- baking soda
- vinegar
That's it.
AND it worked.
Here's how I did it:
- Bail out any standing water;
- Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into your drain;
- Pour in a cup of vinegar (it can be any kind of vinegar except balsamic);
- Cover the drain-hole to keep the action going downward into the drainpipe instead of up into the sink (this is very important);
- After the fizzing stops, add a bit more vinegar to the leftover baking soda and let it fizz again;
- Run hot water through the pipes. I ran hot tap water, but my friend suggested using a pot-full of boiling water, which would ultimately use less water (and dissolve more gunk), so it's probably better.
You may have to do this a couple of times. You might also have to plunge it a couple of times. But this is WAAAAAAAAAAY better than using the hard stuff.
A lot of people suggest doing this once a month or so to keep your drains clear. Apparently this stuff takes out grease and hair clogs, too. Magic.
More people need to know about this. We have all been seriously duped into believing that we really do NEED harsh chemicals to solve these kinds of issues. It's just not true. And it costs a lot of $$$. And it's destroying the environment. AND it's really not good for your pipes. And a lot of other stuff.
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| baking soda in the drain. |
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| close-up glamour shot of baking soda in the drain. |
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| nice vinegar |
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| fizzy |
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| cover the drain to keep the action INSIDE the pipe where it belongs |
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| left-over baking soda |
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| pour in a little more vinegar and have another fizz |
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| ready for hot water. |
Thank you so much for posting this, my drain had been very blocked for a while. I followed your recipe and so far, so good! Before using this, the water was draining very slowly, it was frustrating to watch! I tried plunging and everything, who knew that a couple of household products was all I needed! This has been so helpful!
ReplyDeleteLevi Eslinger @ Capital Plumbing
Wow! Not only is this a viable solution for unclogging a drain, its super affordable! I totally agree with your comments about the wrongful perception that harsh, expensive cleaners are needed. I'm really glad you brought these points to the table! Thanks so much for outlining the process and providing pictures. This is an awesome tutorial that is virtually fool-proof.
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