If you have someone with long hair in your home, old plumbing systems, or have had the misfortune of putting too many carrot or potato peelings down the disposal (compost those bad boys!) then you have had to remedy a slow-or clogged-drain a time or two. If you have ever read a label on a store-bought drain cleaner then you will know just how caustic those products are and how corrosive they can be for your pipes.
The first step to preventing a clogged drain is to avoid those behaviors that create a clog in the first place, but life is bound to happen sometime. When it does, be ready with a cheap and eco-friendly option.
- Light drain cleaning can be accomplished with salt and water. Heat half a cup of salt with a gallon or so of water and pour down the drain.
- Many people’s first choice is to try pouring boiling water to clear the blockage. Use this method only if you have metal pipes as plastic pipes can melt.
- Second choice is to use your plunger. Make sure there is a few inches of standing water and all other vents and openings are closed (use a rag), then start plunging. It may take a few times to get things moving.
- If all else fails, look to your green cleaning basics: baking soda and vinegar. Again, you must make sure that all openings are closed. Dump a bunch of baking soda (about half of a small box) directly into the drain. Add half a cup of vinegar and immediately cover the drain. Let the volcanic eruption do its job for about half an hour and follow with a kettle of boiling water (see above for boiling water).
Always be mindful of your environment and circumstances before trying any method you read on the internet. ;)
I will say that when I took this picture, I was using the method I listed here and it worked like a dream.
What is your favorite method to keep your drains clear of clogs?
Hi Brenna,
I’m a monthly user of the baking soda/vinegar tonic for our old pipes with a chaser of boiling water. No plumbers being hired here! Also, we don’t use our garbage disposal ever. That really helps, too. Happy day!
Sara Tetreault recently posted..How to Keep a House Project Sustainable
Sara, I am going to start doing it monthly too. We just had the plumber out today and that was too expensive!
Thanks for the great tips..I never know that baking soda can use for cleaning its an eco freindly kind of stuff..
Kathleen recently posted..Looking For Affordable Bed Bug Insurance?
Baking soda is the best!
Great idea! My sink was draining slowly and I just went underneath my cabinet and removed the joint of the PVC pipe. There was a lot of gunk in there, and once I cleared that out it was perfect! The plan you have above is a great idea to do once a month to keep things clean I think.
Briana D. recently posted..Fabric Coasters in Sea Green Flowers Fabric, Set of Four
Yeah, you definitely have to have clear pipes and sometimes it will take getting in there. I am hoping that the baking soda and vinegar will be preventative now that I am going to use it regularly!
Hi, great tip for kitchen sinks. For bathroom drains that are slow or clogged because of hair, check out The Drain Claw at http://www.thedrainclaw.com. Cool drain tool without dangerous chemicals.
Oh these are great tips and I have used them successfully!!
My mom’s uncle was a plumber and he always recommended vinegar and baking soda. It also works great for odors in the garbage disposal. I wrote an article about it recently as well! http://www.livingcrunchy.com/2012/02/how-to-clean-a-garbage-disposal/
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