With time, baking soda and vinegar may work as a natural drain cleaner on weaker drain clogs, and the benefits of regular drain cleaning can help keep your drains free of clogs. But for tough drain clogs that need to be dissolved right away, you may want to use a stronger drain cleaner, like Liquid-Plumr.
You may be surprised to learn that pouring soda down the drain does work for some clogs. To be specific, you need a dark-colored cola (such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi). This type of carbonated beverage usually contains a good amount of phosphoric acid, which given enough time, can eat away at some types of clogs.
Maintenance. Jones suggests pouring very hot water down the kitchen sink drain at least once a week. This can help prevent clog-causing buildup on the interior surface of pipes. Or you can pour one cup of vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes, followed by a rinse with two quarts of very hot water.
Let hot water run for a minute to warm up the pipes. Drop in 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour in 1 cup of vinegar, cover the drain with a plug and let sit for 10 minutes – you will hear fizzing. Rinse with more hot water.
It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain.
What if The Baking Soda & Vinegar Hack Doesn't Work? If your drain doesn't unclog right away, repeat the baking soda & vinegar process another time or two. If you have a stubborn clog, sometimes the baking soda & vinegar trick just doesn't work. You may have to use a sink plunger to help push through the blockage.
In some cases, baking soda and vinegar can even cause damage to your pipes. Instead it's best to use other methods such as a plunger or drain snake, or removing your trap to empty out the probable blockage. You can also consider using a commercial drain cleaner that is specifically designed for tough clogs.
Adding vinegar and baking soda together creates a fizzy chemical reaction that can help dissolve stains and loosen up gunky messes. This makes them a handy cleaning combo, even though the actual solution left behind is basically salt water!
Some of the most effective household cleaners aren't meant to be mixed. You probably already know never to combine harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia (or really, bleach and anything). But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either.
Chunk Waste
Big chunks of waste – such as sand, plastics, toys, animal parts, grass, goldfish, metals and cat litter – should never be flushed or disposed of down the drain.
This same power makes it a great, safe drain cleaner. Prevent fatty build-ups that risk blocking your drain by following this simple method: Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain then slowly add half a cup of white vinegar. Wait for 30 minutes then rinse with plenty of boiling water.
Pouring boiling water is quite risky as it might lead to a steam burn or scalding. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of material you are pouring in into. If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road.
When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the acid breaks down baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned.
You can also deodorize drains and help smelly drains with a combination of baking soda and vinegar. These ingredients, when used together, can also sometimes help to clear drain clogs.
Vinegar is a great remedy for keeping your drains clean and fresh. It's especially effective if it's heated. The acetic acid of the vinegar helps to neutralize the source of the odor. The acid in the vinegar can easily penetrate the grease and has disinfecting properties as well.
Bicarb soda (bicarbonate soda) or bicarb of soda are different names for the same thing. In the U.S. it is known as baking soda. It is a pure ingredient, so is naturally gluten free. It requires an acidic ingredient in the recipe such as lemon juice, buttermilk, chocolate or honey, to activate the rising quality.
Instead of using harsh chemicals that could potentially damage your pipes, unclog a drain and refresh it by pouring in a homemade drain cleaner made up of ½ cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Always keep the ratio one-part baking soda to two parts vinegar for the best drain cleaner for kitchen sink gunk.
A monthly cleaning will allow you to use safe cleaning methods which will save you time, energy and money in the long term. Combine 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of very hot water, and 1 half cup of baking soda and pour the mixture down the drain.
If your drain is clogged with hair, baking soda can dissolve hair in a drain. To try this safe and easy method at home - first, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar (white vinegar) down. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes.
Again, no matter what your pipes are made of (as we mentioned earlier) there is no harm to them when using the recommended doses of baking soda and vinegar.
Flush With More Hot Water
If the drain is now flowing, run hot tap water to flush all debris down the drain. If it is not draining, repeat the previous steps. If you haven't cleaned your drain recently, it may be necessary to repeat the baking soda flush at least twice.
While hot water can help loosen up debris, coarse salt actually scours the inside of your pipes, removing more material than hot water alone. After removing standing water from the sink, pour about half a cup of table salt down the drain before you pour in the hot water.