Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar
Bathroom sink draining a lot slower then usual? When you have a shower does it feel like you’re having a bath at the same time because of the water back up? Did you you know that Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar is not only effective, but it is also a lot gentler on our good friend mother nature? Draino and those other liquid plumber brands are great and most of the time do a really good job, but are really harsh on the environment and with just a couple of house hold items, you can get the same results.
You wouldn’t think of it but there is a technique to Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar which I think most people get wrong. These people may tell you using baking soda and vinegar doesn’t work when it comes to clearing up their drain but chances are, they may have just done the procedure in the wrong order or used the wrong amounts.
The order of this procedure is:
- Baking Soda
- White Vinegar
- Boiling Water
The main trick to this is draining it out with the boiling water after. If you just use warm/hot water, it doesn’t quite have enough power to push everything along. The boiling water however will and should finish the job.
The Ratio you need:
- 1 part Baking Soda – 1 cup for example
- 2 parts White Vinegar – 2 cups for example
- 2 parts Boiling Water – 2 cups for example
The Procedure:
- Pour 1 part Baking Soda into you drain
- Pour the 2 parts White Vinegar down the drain
- The Baking Soda and Vinegar will start to react with each other and start to foam up
- Allow several minutes for the two ingredients to react with each other. Longer the Better.
- Then pour boiling water down the drain
- If your drain is still clogged, rinse and repeat. Hopefully the second go unclogs your drain
Depending on how bad your drain is, you may have to do this two to three times but should work. If you do this three or four times and you’re still having draining issues, the “Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar” procedure may not be strong enough on your drain clogging problem and unfortunately, you may have to get the pros in to help you.
Why Does Baking Soda And Vinegar React?
The experiment baking soda and vinegar is one of the most popular. However, it is deceptively simple: what appears to be one reaction is actually two, happening in quick succession. This reaction is an example of a multi-step reaction.
What actually happens is this: the acetic acid (that’s what makes vinegar sour) reacts with sodium bicarbonate (a compound that’s in baking soda) to form carbonic acid. It’s really a double replacement reaction. Carbonic acid is unstable, and it immediately falls apart into carbon dioxide and water (it’s a decomposition reaction). The bubbles you see from the reaction come from the carbon dioxide escaping the solution that is left. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so, it flows almost like water when it overflows the container. It is a gas that you exhale (though in small amounts), because it is a product of the reactions that keep your body going.
What’s left is a dilute solution of sodium acetate in water.
Source: Vinegar + Baking Soda Explanation
Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar And Preventing Future Clogs
Once you are successful in Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar, the next step is to prevent future clogs. The best way is very cheap and can save you hundreds maybe even thousands in future plumbing bills. At Home Depot, Home Hardware or any other Do-it Yourself store, you can buy little drain strainers. They look like little Spaghetti strainers and sit in your drain.well worth the small investment. Since I have put the drain strainers in all my drains, it is mind blowing how much crap gets trapped in them and makes you realize why your drains get backed up.
If you have a slow moving drain, definitely try Unclogging A Drain With Baking Soda And Vinegar first. Hope this helps.