I used to live in a house with a sink that had a mind of its own. That sink would clog at the first sight of rice. It stayed clogged so long once that I had to resort to washing dishes in the bathtub. My husband would come home and plunge it for hours. At times the water would go down but it drained slowly even in the best of times. When the sink would drain, I diligently kept all food from going down the drain, yet it would clog eventually anyway. With two small children to care for, when the sink stopped working so did my daily schedule. I tried several jugs of expensive sink clog products to no avail. They were expensive, abrasive and often gave off noxious fumes. I didn’t like using these types of chemicals around my children. Many times the sink required plunging even after the use of these products, leading to flying toxic slime all over my kitchen. I tried different plungers, having hope that a different type or style would make all the difference in my personal plunging power. I tried the ever popular drain snake, which only cramped my fingers from cranking. Finally, at my wits end, I was convinced that this sink hated me and there would never be a proper fix for it besides major remodeling.
If only I knew then what I know now. A close friend gave me a tip I’ll never forget.
Remember those science experiments with vinegar and baking soda as a kid? Those are the only ingredients that you’ll ever need to fix even the worst of sink clogs. Vinegar and baking soda are all natural and leave your sink smelling fresh and clean, not to mention they are also very affordable! You’ll need five small boxes of baking soda and at least a gallon of white vinegar. These items can be bought for less than the cost of one bottle of drain cleaner. Here’s how it’s done:
First, remove as much water and debris from the sink as you can. A plastic milk jug with a section cut out of the bottom works great. It has a handle and can be used like a scoop. I used a small empty garbage can for pouring the water in. Dispose of the water down the shower drain, toilet or other sink nearby.
Next you use this same scoop to prepare the baking soda. Pour a few boxes of baking soda into the homemade scoop and mix with a little less than a cup of water to create a sludge that will pour. Now you can do one of two things. Pour the baking soda directly down the drain, or take off the overflow valve cap and pour it there. I personally think pouring the baking soda mixture down the overflow valve works better. Be ready with a bucket or large bowl underneath the sink when you remove the cap, because the excess water between the valve and the sink drain will come pouring out. Pour your baking soda mixture in and give it a few minutes to make its way down the drain. If you poured it down the overflow valve be sure to tightly replace the cap.
Now comes the fun part. Time to find something to completely seal off your sink drain. I used a few dishrags stuffed into the drain opening and pressed down into them with a soup bowl. If you have a double sink, this will be more of a challenge. You will be creating lots of pressure in the drain pipes. For this method to work it is critical that you find the best way to seal the drain opening that you can. Have your sealing method ready. Then you remove your sealer and quickly pour as much vinegar as you can down the drain until you start hearing noise or see bubbling foam coming from the drain. Replace your drain sealer as fast as you can and hold as much pressure on it as possible for about three minutes. You should be able to hear the clog release or see the water flow freely down the drain now. Victory!
You can also pour vinegar and baking soda down your drains in this fashion when your sink isn’t clogged to clear away buildup in drains and to remove odors.
