We have 3 cats and 2 humans in this house and drains seem to clog overnight here. In our last apartment we had a septic tank so I had to find a more natural way to unclog sink drains then with the store bought chemicals. I'm not sure where I got this recipe but it works. I've used it for over 2 years now to unclog sink drains and haven't had to buy any of the store stuff which is nice since that stuff is hard on septic systems and pipes and probably shouldn't be allowed in the water system at all anyway.
Ingredients:
Baking soda
White vinegar
Boiling water
Directions:
1. If unclogging a bathroom sink, take the stopper out. Make sure all the water is drained from the sink.
2. Fill the drain with baking soda. I usually use about 1/4 to 1/2 a small box to do this. Shove it down the drain if you have to using a long spoon. Really pack it in.
3. After baking soda is packed in drain, dump 1/2-3/4 of a cup of vinegar in the sink. It will start to foam up and eat the baking soda. Allow the vinegar to 'bubble' and foam its way down the drain. Be patient - this can take awhile.
4. When you don't hear the bubbling anymore, flush the sink with a kettle full of boiling water. It will take a minute but your drain should run smoothly after the boiling water is gone. Run your sink and test it out.
Note: Sometimes for a bad clog, I will repeat steps 2 and 3 twice before adding the boiling water.
The cost breakdown:
1 gallon of white vinegar - $1.99
16 oz box of baking soda - $1.00
Boiling water - free
If I estimate high by saying that I'll use 8 oz of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar per drain de-clog that costs about $0.62 per application.
VS.
Draino Foam Clog Remover - $7.50
These prices are based on our local supermarket and don't included taxes, but if you use homemade drain clog remover as opposed to the store bought you could save almost $7.00 per application. That's a lot!
Be sure to join us next week were I'll be shifting gears from cleaning supplies to food items that you can make yourself!
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