How to Unclog a Sink Naturally

The simple ingredients of baking soda and vinegar can unclog sinks. Best of all, you're fixing the problem without pouring anything toxic down the drain.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vinegar
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Baking Soda

1. Remove contents from sink.

2. Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda down the drain.

3. Pour in one cup of vinegar into the drain.

4. Cover the drain with a lid and wait fifteen minutes. The baking soda and vinegar will have a chemical reaction, breaking down the clog.

5. Rinse the drain with hot water to clear it out.

6. Repeat if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• You may need to use a plunger to help break the clog.
• Use each product sparingly.

[joanhaines]

on 6/18/2009 Will the wonders of vinegar and baking soda never cease?

[pianistic]

on 6/17/2009 I did this (check it out on the upper right hand corner). I used boiling hot water to get the rest of the clog, although if I had waited a little longer it probably would have unclogged all the way.

[nksa5]

on 3/23/2009 I bought some baking soda and before I poured it into the sink I looked down the drain and saw some unsightly stuff, so I got a wire hanger, straightened it out and made a hook on one end and reached down the drain and pulled out some gnarly stuff, after that the drain emptied right away, but I wanted to try the baking soda and vinegar experiment, so I poured it down anyway and it started fizzing up real good, then I put a washcloth over drain whole to cover for 15 min like someone said. After that it continued to drain well, but basically, pulling all that junk did the trick.

[njsilva3]

on 9/29/2008 Glad I found this...had two sinks full of water in the kitchen, had been plunging for hours and the disposal side would drain, but come up the other sink. I think I put too much food in the disposal... :(
I did not have vinegar, so used baking soda only. Plugged one side, poured baking soda in the other and then a pot of boiling water. The clog disappeared instantly! Put baking soda in the other sink and washed it down with another pot of boiling water...sinks are draining beautifully!!
Thanks to your posts!!

[Garye11]

on 5/25/2008 I use clarifying shampoo. If it removes dirt and condition buildup in hair safely, why not clogs? I pour 2 to 4 tablespoons,let it sit overnight. In the morning, I fill the bowl with water, take a plunger to it, and after 1 or more tries, it's unclogged. Best thing? It doesn't hurt pipes. Clarifying shampoo is meant to get out heavy buildup in hair - most of the same stuff that is building up in pipes, so it works beautifully. I do this at least once a month to keep the sink from clogging.