Baking Soda and White Vinegar This mixture is a great green alternative to Drano because most people have these items somewhere in their kitchen. To use this method, pour half a cup of baking soda into the clogged drain and follow it with a half cup of white vinegar.
Using a solution of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water
For more stubborn clogs, a combination of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water may do the trick. Because vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base, mixing the two will cause a chemical reaction that will create pressure and possibly dislodge the clog.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Mix together 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1/3 cup of vinegar. The result will fizz almost immediately—it's important that you pour it down your clogged drain right away so you don't lose the effects of that reaction.
Look in Your Kitchen Pantry. Baking soda and vinegar may unclog your drain better than Drano ever could. Start by getting rid of the standing water in your drain. If it will go down slowly, just wait until it's gone.
Because of its corrosive nature, Drano can cause toilet bowls to crack, PVC pipes to melt or break and the glue that holds pipes together can be eaten away. If any of these things happen, you're going to be left with an inoperable plumbing system and costly repairs.
While the baking soda and vinegar solution is effective in breaking down a clog, it will also cause your drain to become more damaged. The baking soda's abrasive nature will wear down your drain over time. This is why you should avoid using baking soda and vinegar solution for cleaning out your drain.
While the phosphoric acid found in cola can help alleviate some minor clogs, carbonated beverages are certainly not the ideal drain cleaner. Better DIY methods include a baking soda/vinegar mixture, a plunger, or a plumber's snake.
Experts agree: Drano Max Gel is the best overall drain cleaner because it works quickly to get rid of tough clogs. This reliable and effective cleaner is a thick gel that goes deep in sinks, pipes, and drains to reach the source of the clog and completely dissolve it.
Many clogs, especially kitchen drains, develop due to fats and oils that get cold and harden inside the pipes. Simply using a large amount of boiling water will clear the clog.
To get started, purchase a two-liter bottle of Coke and allow it to acclimate to room temperature. After pouring it down the drain, let it fizz and work its corrosive power for an hour or two before running hot water.
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.
If it's bubbling, that means it is working. Cover the area and then let sit for about 15 minutes. When the bubbling subsides, you can pour hot water down the drain. If you have plastic pipes, do not use boiling water as it can melt them.
Vinegar. Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain. It acts as a natural cleaning solution and can remove blockages and harmful bacteria that cause foul odors.
It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain. Always flush this mixture down with boiling water—no matter how long you leave it sitting in the drain.
Cola Drain Cleaner Trick
Pour the entire bottle down the clogged drain. Allow it to sit in the drain for at least an hour or two (or even up to 24 hours for stubborn clogs). Flush drain with boiling water. Repeat as necessary.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a kitchen staple that can work wonders to clean clothes, appliances, and even drains that are smelly or clogged.
Use Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar is a very powerful combination that can help clear nasty hair clogs. Besides helping dissolve hair in your drain, baking soda also has disinfectant qualities that can fight fungi and bacteria.
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.
When bicarb soda and vinegar react, they fizzle and sizzle and they expand. This is why they are able to remove clogs from drains. The pressure from the expanding product shoves the clog down as it moves along. The vinegar solution (vinegar plus water) can remove soap residue that clings to the walls of the pipes.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a fine white powder that has many uses. You may wonder about bicarbonate of soda vs. baking soda, but they are simply alternate terms for the same ingredient. If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda.
When Drano is left in the drain for too long, it can cause corrosion of the pipes. The chemicals in the product are designed to break own the clog, but if left for too long, they can start to break down the pipes themselves.
When Drano won't go down the drain, grab a plunger instead. Many people think that these are only good for toilets. However, they can create suction that can dislodge your clog. If you're using a plunger, choose one that is suited for the type of clog you're dealing with.
The chemicals in Drano may not solve all clogs, and they can lead to a worsening of pipe issues. Drano can build up in a clogged area, and corrode the pipe. With repeated use, these chemicals may eat their way through a pipe, and cause a leak or a collapse of the system.