How To Clear Blocked Drains With Baking Soda

Drain clogs are among the most frequent plumbing problems that you’ll encounter and it’s not surprising at all. Every time that you use your plumbing fixtures, different kinds of waste materials and sticky substances pass through the drain pipes. And while we expect these wastes to just be smoothly washed away by water, the truth is, it’s not going to happen. Grease and other sticky particles will cling onto the walls of your drain pipe resulting to nasty clogs in the end. Fortunately, there are a lot of easy and natural ways to clear a clogged drain and the use of baking soda is probably the most popular. Read on and learn more why this baking essential is great at clearing drains!

Why is baking soda and vinegar effective in clearing blocked drains?

 

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is not only an indispensable baking ingredient. It is also an effective cleaning agent and clog remover, too. However, you should know that in order for it to remove clogs in a drain pipe, it has to be combined with white vinegar. The mixture of the two ingredients produces a chemical reaction that fizzes out sticky substances and grease inside the pipe.

How do you use baking soda to unclog the drain pipe?

 

1. The first thing that you have to do is to scoop out any remaining water in the sink. You’ll need to do so to make the drain accessible.

2. If the affected drain pipe is part of a double sink, you have to plug the other drain before doing the repair. This will prevent foul gasses from escaping out of the drain hole.

3. Now before you start zapping the clog away, you have to pour a kettle of boiling hot water into the drain. Doing so will soften any grease that has already solidified inside the pipe.

4. Afterwards, pour a cup of baking soda into the pipe. Make sure that it touches the walls of the tube to eliminate sticky substances.

5. When you’re done with the baking soda, pour a cup of white vinegar and plug the hole with an old cloth or rag.

6. Let the two ingredients react together and just leave the drain plugged until you no longer hear any fizzing sound.

7. When the sound has stopped, remove the rag or cloth from the drain. Pour another kettle of boiling hot water to wash away the ingredients.

8. Turn the tap on and test if the clog has been successfully eradicated.

We hope that our blog today showed you how to clear blocked drains with baking soda. If the problem persists, just call a reputable Gaithersburg plumber to fix your drain for you. Plumbers 911 Washington DC delivers excellent plumbing services in Gaithersburg MD including drain cleaning, leak detection, camera sewer inspection, backflow prevention, hydrojetting and many more! Call us now at (877) 932-5325 to schedule a service!

Learn how to use baking soda when cleaning your drains, too! Watch this video now.