How to Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clean Drains
If you are looking for an all-natural and safe alternative to the harsh chemicals that are often found in most commercial drain cleaners, you may want to try using a combination of baking soda and vinegar. This is a great way to clear the toughest of clogs while protecting our earth and saving you money over expensive plumbing products and services.
- Bail out any water that may be in your sink or tub where the clogged drain is located. You want to remove as much water as possible so that the vinegar and baking soda can reach down into your clogged drain.
- Add three quarters of a cup of dry baking soda into your clogged drain being careful that it goes down the drain as much as possible.
- Add two cups of any type of vinegar that you have on hand.
- Immediately clog the drain with a wet rag or drain cap to keep the mixture inside of your drain.
- Allow the chemicals to work. These two products create a chemical combustion process that will cause foam to work its way up and out of your drain. You want to keep the chemicals in your drain so that they can work at removing the clog.
- Wait for thirty minutes so that the baking soda and vinegar have enough time to eat away at the source of your blockage in your pipes.
- Boil a large pot of water while you wait. Once it has come to a boil, turn it down to low until thirty minutes has passed.
- Remove the drain plug or wet rag from your clogged drain and immediately add the boiling water to the drain slowly to avoid splashing which could burn you if you are not careful.
- Turn on the hot water and allow it to run for around ten minutes to flush out the debris from your pipes as well as the remaining vinegar and baking soda that is left in your drain.
- If your drain is still draining slowly, you can repeat steps two through nine until your drain is running free and clear.