My husband is a scientist which means periodically we do science experiments in our house. Yesterday we made a volcano in our shower drain. Why, you ask. Because I keep reading and hearing that vinegar and baking soda are the best non toxic drain cleaner. I pretty well shed like a dog, and my hair has the nasty tendency to clog up our shower drain. In the past a plunger has always done the trick, but that is no longer working. I didn't want to use Drano, and I already had baking soda and vinegar in the house.
We put:
-1/8 c baking soda
-1/8 c vinegar
down the drain and shut the plug. We allowed that to sit for about 30 minutes. Then we poured hot water down the drain for about 2 minutes. That step almost killed me with guilt for the waste of water.
The results: It didn't work. Having the shower run for a few minutes still resulted in the tub filling up. I have heard so many people talk about this though, so I know it must work. I am turning to you now to ask for your experiences with this.
What did I do wrong?
I like using this drain cleaning method because it's eco-friendly and easier on our septic tank ... but the husband sheds like a dog as well and if I don't do it on a weekly basis, our shower drain clogs. In the rare event that happens I have no choice but to use a little Liquid Plumber. With the bs&v method I've also noticed that using nearly boiling water instead of just 'hot' water makes a big difference as well.
ReplyDeletei agree with the above, it's not a replacement for draino if you've already got a clog. I use it bi-weekly in all of my bathroom drains and haven't had any issues with the drain in awhile, which is a nice relief!
ReplyDeleteUnlike the previous commenters, I only use it when I get a really bad clog [[as it sounds like you have]]. However, I pull the bulk of the clog out with a stretched out wire clothes hanger first. After getting the huge clump of hair and congealed shampoo out, I do the vinegar and baking soda solution. The shower runs well after that and the best part is that you don't have to use draino. [[side note: if you have a weak stomach as I do, I recommend having your husband doing the hanger bit...I never fail to gag at the sight of all of that nasty hair!]]
ReplyDeleteI use a clothes hanger to get the bulk of the clog out too. Then vinegar and baking soda followed by hot water. Sometimes it takes a bit of work, but it always works in the end :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with the ladies. Taking out the bulk of the hair first and then keeping up with it weekly after that.
ReplyDeleteI too agree, Also pouring boiling hot water down after the baking soda and vinegar has sat for 15-30 minutes helps I find. We have a family of 7 and I use this method very successfully :o)I also should say that a pair of long tweezers like use on threading serger (sewing) machines come in handy.. it's yucky, but it can get it cleaned out for ya.
ReplyDeleteThe best tool I've found to clean the tub drain is a Zip-it. It's a snakey thing with little "spikes" on it. They cost $2-3 and you can buy them at Walmart, etc. After using that, I've done the baking soda and vinegar combo with great success.
ReplyDeleteThis never works well for me either, but I do use a plunger in the tub once in a while when I have a bad clog and that works really well! I might try using a combination of both next time.
ReplyDeleteLike you, this one was a failure for me as well. However, I think if you have to remove the bulk of the clog before using this, then what is the point of using anything else? I can see this natural method being used weekly to prevent a huge clog, but I gave up and bought some liquid plumber because I was tired of wasting so much baking soda, vinegar and my time trying to get rid of a clog that just kept getting worse. I want to use all natural items in my cleaning, but sometimes they just don't work (which is why I'm sure they started inventing all these chemical laden products!-I'm not promoting it, just saying I understand now why people turned away from some natural ways...)
ReplyDeleteIf you have long hair, the drain may be filled with hair. I have that problem in my house. But I have never used this treatment on the showers before.
ReplyDeleteI usually use it on my sink. And it didn;t work very well either. I think that this works best as more of a prevention option. I used some drain-o and that clears things up. And since doing that I use the vinager and baking soda once a month and the clog has not come back.
It's a drain cleaner (like for smelly drains) not a drain de-glogger.
ReplyDeleteIt could be the span of time you let the baking soda and vinegar sit in. Try leaving the mixture overnight and then see if the blockage disappears. Another alternative is to use hot water together with salt. Salt is a significant ingredient for clearing out a clogged drain, basin, or sink. To produce salt, sodium hydroxide is neutralized with hydrochloric acid, which is also part of the chemicals used in manufacturing drain cleaners.
ReplyDeleteDarryl Iorio
I know this is an older post, but I just unclogged my drain with this mixture this morning. I've used this method on my kitchen sink, bathroom sink & tub and basement sink - all with great results.
ReplyDeleteI don't do the pour & sit method though. I pack a liberal amount of baking soda into the drain - if the tub is full of water, you may have to remove some of it to get the baking soda near the drain. I then pour the vinegar directly onto the mound of baking soda - again, I use a pretty large amount of it. After tub empties, I pour boiling water down the drain.
If you do this 1-2 times a week, it should help your drain from getting clogged.
I tried that and failed also, but I kept trying with different methods. I was finally able to unclog my drain by sealing off the drainout in tub with duct tape and plugging the sink. When done adding my vinegar and baking soda, also covering it so that the gases push it out. I also plunged it just a little and it helped wonders. I should have thought of this long ago.
ReplyDeleteI done the same before and turned out good. Here’s what I do: I poured 1/2 of the box of baking soda, I didn’t combine any water on it just keep it dry when dumping it into the drain. Then following the 1/2 cup of vinegar and after 30 minutes adds the hot water slowly. Experimenting is fun, educational and money saver, if you succeeded. But if it comes out bad, it’s better to call a specialist to fix it.
ReplyDelete{Kurt Verdejo}
Indeed they are! They are inexpensive and effective. It’s not really rocket science, but it is very impressive how this mixture easily cleans and unclogs drain. But what I do differently are squeeze lemon and pour hot water after. The lemon is to make the sink shinier.
ReplyDeleteAlthea Tumlin