How to Unclog a Sink Drain With Baking Soda and Vinegar

Clogged drains? Here are some beneficial (and super effective) natural remedies for unclogging the sink

Over time, food residue, grease deposits, or detergent build-ups can clog sink drains. When this happens, we need to act quickly, but can the problem be solved without calling the plumber or using overly aggressive chemical drain cleaners? The secret is in the mix of vinegar and baking soda, an excellent natural remedy for unclogging the sink easily. Let’s see this and other DIY solutions that you can try.

Unclog the sink with vinegar and baking soda

The sink drain can quickly become clogged, especially with no routine cleaning. The leading cause is the accumulation of food residues inside the siphon, causing unpleasant blockages and foul odors from the drains. But the continuous use of abundant quantities of detergent or (if it is the bathroom sink) the deposit of hair and other organic material can also be responsible for the blockage. Luckily, there are several home remedies before giving in to the chemical products easily found on the market or, in the most severe cases, to an urgent call to the plumber.

One of the most effective solutions requires just two ingredients we all have at home: white wine vinegar and baking soda. The first acts as an antibacterial and is also excellent against limescale accumulations, while the second sanitizes thoroughly. Furthermore, mixed produce an effervescent chemical reaction, beneficial against any build-up that clogs the sink.

Ingredients/Tools:

• Baking Soda
• Venigar
• Plunger

Step-by-step process:

1. Pour a cup of baking soda into the sink drain and, immediately after, a cup of white vinegar.
2. In a few moments, the reaction will begin.
3. Leave the solution to react for 10-15 minutes.
4. Use a drain plunger after letting the vinegar and Baking soda react with residues.
5. This should be enough to loosen even the most stubborn fillings in just a few minutes and without too much effort.
6. If the sink is severely clogged, repeat the procedure. In some cases, the time required to clean and unclog for this solution is more dependent on the nature of the build-up.

Unclogging with bottle trick (Baking Soda + Venigar + Salt + Water)

Many people have tried the bottle trick to unclog the sink, and it’s proven effective. The principle according to which it works is very similar to the one behind the mix of vinegar and Baking Soda, but this solution has an extra weapon.

1. First, you need to take a regular plastic bottle used for water. Then prepare the ingredients that will go inside: vinegar, descaling and anti-limescale, and bicarbonate, which has an abrasive action on the pipes. Coarse salt, an excellent sanitizer, and
2. Using a funnel, pour the coarse salt and the bicarbonate of soda into the plastic bottle, then add the vinegar a little ‘ at a time to avoid excessive effervescence.
3. Now close the bottle tightly and shake it well to mix all the ingredients: you will thus obtain a fizzy mixture to pour immediately into the sink drain.
4. The chemical reaction between vinegar and bicarbonate, combined with the “scrub” effect of the salt, will help you clear drains in just a few minutes.
5. After leaving it on, open the tap and let plenty of hot water flow to remove any residue from the pipes.

Unclogging the sink with Venigar

If the clogging is fresh and easy to remove, you can save your efforts by only using vinegar. Follow the process.

• Boil 1 liter of vinegar and slowly pour it down the drain
• Wait a few hours before using the sink.
• Alternatively, use just one glass of vinegar with one tablespoon of salt.

This is an easy process and will not require considerable effort but considerable time.

Unclog Sink with Baking Soda + Salt Solution

You can also use Baking soda + Salt solution to unclog the sink. Follow these steps to proceed.

Ingredients:

• One liter of water
• Salt 100 grams
• Baking Soda 100 grams

Procedure:

1. To drain the sink pipes, quickly boil about a liter of water in a pan,
2. Pour about 100 grams of Baking Soda and 100 grams of salt into a bowl
3. Form a solution with hot water. Mix the solution evenly.
4. Once the water starts boiling, pour the bicarbonate and salt solution into the clogged sink drain immediately.
5. Leave it to act for a few minutes and repeat the process until your sink drain improves.

Flushing the sink with baking soda, salt, and boiling water is a natural operation repeated several times. It represents a natural remedy to be repeated cyclically to avoid a clogged sink.

Mechanical Remdies to Unclog Sink

Sometimes, these homemade remedies are not enough because of the nature of clogging that has built up as plastics and solid food chunks. In this case, we can use mechanical treatments. Following are the most famous mechanical sink unclogging remedies.

The suction cup plunger

It is useful for removing even compact blocks through a process of compression and suction: once positioned on the drain hole, taking care to plug all the holes in the sink such as the overflow, you will remove the block which can go up or down directly along the pipes.

You have to act forcefully and for a long time but it is quite effective. To make the operation easier, use some hot water.

Unclog the sink with wire

The last ecological remedy is to use a simple wire or a sink plunger spring with crank: once the siphon has been dismantled, you can insert the curved iron wire like a hook to loosen the plug that caused the blockage.

Some alternative methods for unclogging the sink

Here are also other systems that may seem strange but have proven effectiveness:

• Dish detergent: It can be a valid ally, especially for the kitchen drain: pour at least 1/2 glass and leave it to act for a while so that it will dissolve the food residues.
• Body wash or shampoo: More suitable for draining the bathroom: 1/2 glass is enough, but leaving it to act as the product for quite some time is essential.
• Grandma’s recipe: mix ½ cup of salt, ½ cup of bicarbonate of soda, and ¼ cup of cream of tartar and pour it down the drain. Finally, pour 1 liter of boiling water and let it rest for at least a few hours before rinsing.
• Fizzy Drinks: Unsurprisingly, they have a drain-disrupting action, but be careful only to use them in extreme cases if you have no other remedies or you have very little time because, in the long run, they could corrode the pipes.

Conclusion

Home remedies with for unlocking sink work best in your favor as they are less expensive, keep the pips and skinks safe from leaking or damage. Use hot vinegar for easy cases; however if the clogged situation is complex, use baking soda, vinegar with plunger or hot solution of Baking Soda, Venigar and Salt. If the issue still exist, use mechanical remedies . Make sure you use gloves and goggles for the safety of your eyes.