Never have a clogged drain again
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
January 14, 2007 11:30pm CST
Don't you just hate it when you get a clogged drain. It always seems to happen when you are in a hurry. I have not had a clogged drain in many years now. I think it is the fact that I take precautions and keep it from clogging. I simple use baking soda and vinegar.
I first dump some baking soda in each sink drain then I heat some vinegae in a glass measuring cup with a handle on it. I heat to boiling in the microwave. I add about 1 cup of hot vinegar into each of the drains on top of the baking soday. I do this once a week or every 2 weeks. The soda will bubble and together they will disolve the oil and bath products in your sinks, tubs and showers. This method makes the house smell nice too. I use cider vinegar most of the time but sometimes I do use white vinegar.
It is very important to heat the vinegar. It does not work as well if you do not.
I have a garbage disposal and it also keeps them from smelling. You know how they can smell sometimes. YUCK!
8 people like this
22 responses
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Use about a 1/2 lb of baking soda the first couple times. Then after a few weeks you should only need 1/4 lb.
2 people like this
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
17 Jan 07
Vinegar is what I use to. I also put orange peels in the garbage disposal it makes it smell really good.
3 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
17 Jan 07
I drink alot of lemon water and toss my lemons in my garbage disposal.
2 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
17 Jan 07
Ugh! I am actually dealing with this problem right now. I water will go out but it takes hours to do so and my husband as always blames me for it. It does it only about once a year and usualy in the winter months. I have both these ingredients so I will try this as soon as I get off mylot. I hope this will work for me. I have tried pouring plain boiling water and dishsoap down the drain but it hasn't worked and I plunged until I thought my arm was going to fall off. So I'll cross my fingers and hope it works and if it does.. Bless you! Then I will never have a clogged drain again.
3 people like this
@Polly1 (12644)
• United States
15 Jan 07
You can use bleach to keep the drains clear too, but don't ever mix it with anything. The baking soda and vinegar is a good idea. I use baking soda for lots of stuff around the house. I also use vinegar for many things around the house. We really don't need to buy a bunch of expensive products to keep our houses clean. Baking soda and vinegar works wonders.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
15 Jan 07
You are so right. I have found that I am allergic to alot of the cleaners on the market. I begin sneezing and coughing when I go down the cleaning section of the store. As a result, we try to use more natural things to clean with. Like the vinegar, baking soda and bleach.
I use vinegar and newspaper to clean my mirrors and windows
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
17 Jan 07
Wow, I need to get some more vinegar today. WE were going to buy the industrial cleaner for the pipes. The drain was clogged about a month ago and the landlord suggested we use the caustic drain cleaners on a monthly basis. I really don't want to use them. This is a great idea. Thank you!
3 people like this
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
17 Jan 07
I can't wait to try this! We are forever having a clogged drain in our one bathroom sink. I would much prefer this method to those caustic, revolting chemicals like Drano. I too use vinegar and newspaper to clean windows! I watched my parents and grandparents do it for years!
3 people like this
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Never heard of this. I had to purchase the stuff from the store, or call a plumber. Thanks for sharing this.
2 people like this
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
19 Jan 07
That is a very good idea. I have never heard of this procedure before. I had always used salt down the toilets and drains. The roughness scraps the pipes and keeps the flow smotthe. Also salt kills any roots that may be growing in the pipes. My Mother has to get rotor rooter every year to clean her drains. I will do the vinegar and soda tonight at her house and mine. Thanks for the tip.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Vinegar will kill weeds in the yard but I dont know about the tree roots that are attracted to your septic system.
1 person likes this
@imadriscoll (2228)
• United States
15 Jan 07
I find the smell of vinegar revolting! When I was a small child my mom would clean the coffee pot with vinegar and she would schedule this when I was out of the house or she would send me outdoors.
It sounds like you're on to something with the clogged drains though, and I might try it despite the horrific smell. I might just do it and then send myself outdoors or on an errand!
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
15 Jan 07
It really does work. Our drains are proof. Maybe you could go visit a friend. Good luck
2 people like this
@coolcatzz (1587)
• Canada
1 Mar 07
Great advice thanks for forwarding me the discussion link. I will have to try this cause mine get bad sometimes. Can you use this for toilets too. I mean I know it would probably be less effective because of the water in the bowl but I thought I'd ask anyways.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I do not use it in the toilet but I do use it in the garbage disposal and the dishwasher
@JohnnyMurder (611)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Most People Don't know it, but products like draino and mr plumber can actually damage your pipes! becarefull! Having your pipes burst is an exspensive repair job!
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
21 Jan 07
This is one of the reasons that we only use natural ingredients. Thanks for the remider for the other readers.
@wmaharper (2315)
• United States
19 Jan 07
Wow, thanks for the advice, i will defiently try it as I have a clogged drain right now!
2 people like this
@chaygylmommy (2469)
• United States
24 Jan 07
WOW! great tip! thanks so much! I am always nervous to use those RidX products and things like that since they are so poison and i have small kids...plus they STINK! LOL
1 person likes this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
1 Mar 07
This sounds like a great idea. We always end up with our bathtub/shower drain getting clogged because of my daughters hair not to mention my own. It's always a lot of work for my husband because he has to go downstairs and in through the ceiling in that bathroom to remove the trap and get rid of the hair. I'm sure he's gonna like this idea because it'll save him time.
1 person likes this
@kgwat70 (13387)
• United States
21 Jan 07
This is very good information as I am having some clogging issues with my bathroom sink. I have tried various products at the store like Draino and other things but they do not work very well. i will have to try your method and see if it works. I will have to see if I have both of these items. Thank you for sharing this information.
1 person likes this
@dana234 (2114)
• Spain
1 Mar 07
Your tip is really helpful. Our drain in the bathroom has been clogged for days now. The water will come up and go down again after hours. I don´t want to call a plumber about it, because they charge a fortune and turn up when they feel like it (at least where I live).
So I´ll definately give the baking soda and vinegar hint a try. Another good thing is that it´s ecological.
Thank you for posting this here.
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
1 Mar 07
This is a great Idea I have tried this before but it didn't work that great BUT I didn't heat the vinegar. I will have to try this again but this time heating it. YOu always post such great posts. Keep the ideas flowing.
@pinklilly (3443)
• Australia
2 Mar 07
Thank you for this tip I don't like to use the poison draino's from the shops I have kids and don't want it anywhere near them so this is a great help.
@Starlady0_1 (586)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Thanks for the information I've always heard about keeping them smelling good butnot for clogs.Baking Soda and vinegar I will have to try this.
1 person likes this
