By Eva Sparks

Dealing with clogged drains isn’t something you can put off for long, but many people don’t even know where to begin. Other are worried that strong chemical cleaners may be harmful for their health. The good news is that, with just a bit of baking soda, vinegar, and some very hot water, you’ll be able to get all of your drains working like new again.

Baking soda and vinegar are the perfect drain cleaning agents for three main reasons. First, they don’t pose any risks to your health or to your drains. Second, when the two are mixed, they create carbon dioxide and sodium acetate, both of which can easily dissolve the grime and gunk that has built up in your plumbing. Third, the foaming bubbles they create further work to give your drains a thorough scrubbing.

Enough with singing the praises of using baking soda and vinegar to clean your drains; let’s go through the steps you need to take to actually do it.

Step 1 – Prepare 2 cups of baking soda, 1 cup of vinegar, 4 cups of boiling water, and bring them to your target drain.

Step 2 – Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by about half of your boiling water.

Step 3 – Pour your second cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by your cup of vinegar.

Step 4 – Quickly plug the drain to trap the bubbles in the pipe, allowing them to clean more effectively. You should be able to hear the mixture working.

Step 5 – When the sound of the bubbles begins to quiet down, open the drain again and pour your remaining hot water inside. This should clear away any remaining debris.

Step 6 – If your drain still doesn’t seem to be running as smoothly as it could, you can repeat steps 1-5 as many times as it takes for water to flow through it unimpeded.

Some particularly grimy drains may also call for the use of a sink plunger. If the baking soda and vinegar doesn’t seem to be able to clear away all of the gunk, you can be sure that it has at least loosened it all up. After filling your drain with water you should seal it off with a plunger and quickly plunge up and down a few times. This should be enough to dislodge any remaining grime.

To keep your drains in tip top shape you should try not to let them get so clogged again. Clear them periodically with some baking soda, vinegar, and water, and you’ll save yourself from having to deal with many future drainage problems.

After that if your drain still doesn’t seem to be running as smoothly, you could have a bigger issue. Call your trusted local plumber.