How to Unclog Household Drains with Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Salt

Buildup in household pipes can be a real hassle, clogging them and preventing proper drainage. Luckily, it doesn't have to drain your wallet or put your family and home in danger. A super easy remedy found right in your kitchen might just do the trick: a very effective, cheap, and natural alternative to harsh chemicals and expensive plumbing services.
This is a great way to just freshen up a stinky drain also. These ingredients together will help break up and then absorb odor causing scum and grim, washing it away and leaving you with a fresh smelling sink, toilet, or tub.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1 cup Salt
• 3/4 cup Vinegar
• 1 gallon (roughly) Boiling Water

1. Go ahead and mix your vinegar, baking soda, and salt together and then pour this down your drain. Leave it to work up for at least twenty minutes.

2. Separately, bring your water to boil, and then pour it slowly down your drain. If you have porcelain, you should avoid contact with surfaces, pouring your water directly into the drain, as extremely hot temperatures could possibly crack these.

3. Wait another ten to twenty minutes and then test to see if it worked by turning on your spout or otherwise pouring more water down the drain.

4. If needed, use a plunger to help break up the clog, and then repeat the last three steps. Sometimes it may take up to three or for times to completely break free all of the buildup.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you begin, you should take the steps to remove any applicable debris from your offending pipes that you can.
• Remove drain caps and pull out what you can reach. Unscrew pipe traps from under sinks and empty them. Try fishing out anything you can see.
• It is not likely that this method will remove large and foreign objects. You may need to take further steps to remove solid objects that are out of reach.
• Using chemicals to remove buildup and drain clogs can have serious repercussions.
• If you live in the country and have a septic tank sewer system you can kill all the bacteria that breaks down waste, forcing you to have to pump very soon.
• Chemicals can ruin pipes and home surfaces, causing rust and irreversible damage that will become more expensive in the long run.
• These types of chemicals are also very, extremely toxic!

[DiscountTickets]

on 6/30/2009 This sounds so freshly clean, need to try this soon before my drains clog up.

[mysteriousmuse]

on 6/30/2009 Very interesting article. I have some drains that clog now and then. I will have to try this out myself.