Dealing with a slow draining sink can be super frustrating, and while there are many chemical cleaners out there, I prefer to stay natural. I've got a method that works great with just a few simple ingredients: First, I boil a kettle of water and pour half down the drain to loosen any grime. Next, I mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with a little warm water and pour that in, then follow it up with a cup of vinegar. You'll hear it fizz! After 10-15 minutes, I pour down the rest of the boiling water to flush everything away. This usually does the trick for clogs caused by soap, grease, or food bits. If it's still draining slowly afterward, I recommend checking the trap under the sink. How do you clear clogs without using harsh chemicals?
3 Answers
To be honest, I think the baking soda and vinegar fizzing is mostly just for show. The vinegar might help a little, but it’s really the hot water that does the heavy lifting. I stick with that for most clogs and it usually works just fine!
Drain snakes are really the only truly effective way to tackle bad clogs. Chemicals can't compete with good old mechanical cleaning. Just be ready for some gross moments! It's worth it though for a clean drain.
So true! Sometimes you just have to get a bit dirty to get the job done right.
Using a drain snake is a solid option! I often use it along with a hot water flush afterwards to clear out any leftover grease or soap scum that the snake might have missed.
Good point! The combination really seems to work wonders. Hot water does seem to help clear out the stubborn stuff.
Yeah, I agree. That fizz is just noise. But the baking soda does help with bad smells, so it has its place.