We all know how frustrating a clogged drain can be. No one wants to stand ankle deep in water while they’re taking their shower or have to wait 10 minutes for their sink to drain after they shave. Luckily, a clogged sink is often a “do it yourself” kind of plumbing fix. If you’d like to stay away from store-bought drain cleaners, all you need is 3 ingredients to both save money and resolve your issue in an eco-friendly way! Your three ingredients consist of:
- Boiling water
- 1 cup plus 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1-2 cups Vinegar (distilled white vinegar is best)
This is a pretty simple process and it won’t take you long at all. Keep in mind that you may have to do it once or twice to get a clog cleared effectively. We also recommend that you wear gloves. The chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar isn’t dangerous, but it’s better to protect your hands just in case.
Step 1: Pour a pot of boiling water down the clogged drain. The heat and steam from the water will break up the gunk that’s binding the substance(s) together, making it dense enough to slow the water flow.
Step 2: Dump a half cup (½ cup) of baking soda into the drain. You may want to have a flat-surfaced utensil such as a spatula near by to direct in excess baking soda that doesn’t make it into the drain. Let it sit for about 3 minutes to allow the baking soda to settle into the nooks and crannies.
Step 3: After 3 minutes, it’s time to start pouring the vinegar down the drain. But first, mix the 1 full cup of baking soda with a cup of extremely hot water and pour it in. When adding the vinegar, be sure to do it bit by bit and not all at once. If you dump it all into the drain at once you will get a lot of spillover. This part should take the longest.
Step 4: Cover the drain with a drain plug to keep the chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda down below the drain’s surface; let it sit for 7-10 minutes.
Step 5: After you’ve let it sit, you may dump another pot of boiling water down the drain to wash all of the loose ends away.
If these 5 simple steps don’t work the first time, just try it again. It could just mean that the severity of your clog requires a little more attention. If that doesn’t work then try taking a plunger to it for a minute to pump air into the drain, motivating the clog to move through.
Hopefully these 5 easy steps will help with your stubborn drain issues. If it ends up being more serious, we are always here to help as well! Give us a call at 501-847-6800 to set up an appointment if the problem persists—even in emergencies at any time of the day or night.
