As far as DIY goes, there are so many things around the house that you can use for a number of different things – you just may not realize it yet. Especially when it comes to your drains, there are a number of ways to keep it clog-free to avoid any plumbing emergencies.
But what if you realize too late that your drains are starting to clog up?
What Vinegar Can Do for Your Drains
There’s a simple solution to the problem, and it’s right inside your cupboard – vinegar. Here are the steps that will teach you how to unblock a drain with vinegar.
- Pour a pot of boiling water into the clogged drain.
- Dump half a cup of baking soda into the drain and let it sit there for a few minutes.
- Prepare a mixture of vinegar and hot water. A cup of each would do.
- Pour the water and vinegar mixture into the drain.
- If you have a drain plug, now’s the best time to put it in so that the chemical reaction will stay within the drain.
- Wait for around 5 to 10 minutes, then flush the drain with another pot of boiling water.
Why does this make sense? Well, both baking soda and vinegar have been known to be very powerful in cleaning and sanitizing things, especially around the house. The hot water and the baking soda will loosen up any sludge accumulating in your drains, and the vinegar is the main ingredient that would finally make it all break loose from the walls of those pipes. The moment you pour in that final pot of boiling water, expect all that sludge to go where everything else flows, finally allowing everything else to flow freely down the drain.
Now as you perform the process, you may see the mouth of the drain bubbling. Don’t panic! This is just the reaction of everything you poured in as it tries to break down all the dirt and sludge within your drains.
Just a warning, though. Never mix the baking soda and vinegar in advance, keep them in stock somewhere, and then expect the same effect when you use them to clean anything else. Follow the process step by step – every batch should be a fresh one.
What’s the Plan B?
Now, what if the drains are too clogged that the baking soda and vinegar trick just isn’t working anymore? In this case, it’s time to call in the experts.
When the case has gone beyond what you can do on your own, never hesitate to call a trusted plumber to do the job for you. Remember that the longer the problem stays, the harder it is to fix and the bigger the repercussions will be. You wouldn’t want to face a plumbing emergency just because you were too stubborn to call a plumber.
Remember that quick fixes can only work every so often, and only in mild scenarios. Even if you have mastered how to unblock a drain with vinegar, sometimes, the problem runs deeper than you think, warranting the help of a real expert.