Add 1/2 cup of salt to the baking soda before pouring in the vinegar. The salt acts as an abrasive scrubbing agent, helping to scrape grease off the pipe walls.
Shove 1 cup of baking soda directly down the drain. Try to get it past the strainer and into the pipe.
Boil a full kettle of water (careful with PVC pipes—see note below). Slowly pour the boiling water down the drain to flush away the dissolved gunk. Two Powerful Variations Depending on what is clogging your drain, try one of these tweaks:
One cup of baking soda, one cup of vinegar, one hour of patience. Your nose (and your plumbing) will thank you. Have you tried this method? Let us know in the comments if it saved your drain—or if you have a secret twist on the recipe!
Before you reach for a toxic, store-bought chemical drain cleaner, take a step back. The solution to your slow drain is likely already sitting in your pantry: .
Cover the drain opening tightly with a sink stopper or a damp rag. This traps the carbon dioxide gas inside the pipe, forcing the fizz to push down against the clog rather than escaping up into your sink.
Immediately pour 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain. You’ll hear a satisfying fizzing and bubbling sound. That’s the chemical reaction hard at work.
