April 9, 2008 | Vinegar, Cleaning tips
With drain cleaner known to be one of the most toxic household products on the market, what to do with a clogged drain?
One option is a plunger. For a slow drain, a plunger can often dislodge whatever is causing the blockage. If that doesn’t work, of if you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional pour-it-down-the-drain type cleaners, try the following recipes:
For light drain cleaning, mix 1/2 cup of salt into 4 liters of water and heat, but not to boiling. Pour the mixture down the drain.
For heavier drain cleaning, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain (you may need to use your fingers to push it down a bit); chase that with 1 cup white vinegar. Give it a few minutes to fizz. Then follow with 1 gallon of boiling water - careful not to scald yourself as you pour!
This only works if your pipes are metal - do not use the boiling water if you have plastic pipes! Also, don’t do this if you’ve just used a commercial drain cleaner. The vinegar could cause a chemical reaction and release dangerous fumes.
That’s what works for me. Head over to Shannon’s place for more helpful tips.
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Playful Professional says:
Does this work to get rid of things like hair? That’s our biggest problem, and the chemical cleaners have always worked, but I’d love to do something more natural.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:51 amSusan says:
Good tip. I like using cleaners that are safer for me and the environment.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:24 pmLaura@HeavenlyHomemakers says:
Thank you for this information. We are always having drain problems (old house!)and really dislike using toxic drain cleaner. We’ll have to give this a try!
April 9th, 2008 at 1:17 pmJeana says:
Oh, I’m going to have to try this one!!
April 9th, 2008 at 7:38 pmHazel says:
Iam looking for somethings to help rid frreuit flies from the kitchen drain. I’ll try this to clear the gunk they lay eggs in.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:33 pmThanks