Baking soda is a household staple that can be used to clean smelly and clogged drains. Fat, oil, and grease are the most common causes of clogs in kitchen drains. Clogs in bathroom drains are most commonly caused by hair and scum from personal products. Before using chemical drain cleaners or disassembling the drain trap, try baking soda to see if it works.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a mineral compound that occurs naturally. It is a slightly alkaline powder that can dissolve mineral deposits as well as organic materials like grease, which has a slightly acidic composition. Furthermore, baking soda has mild disinfectant properties that can be used to combat odor-causing bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, a regular cleaning with baking soda may help to prevent clogs from forming in the first place.
Considerations for Safety
Baking soda is always preferable to using a chemical drain cleaner if you don’t want to disassemble the drain trap to clear a clog. Chemical cleaners are not guaranteed to dissolve clogs, and the caustic chemicals can be extremely harmful to skin, causing serious burns. Professional plumbers typically advise against using these products, and some apartment buildings expressly prohibit the use of chemical cleaners. Before you reach for a caustic chemical product to unclog a drain, try one of these simple homemade baking soda methods.
Also, when heating water on the stove and pouring boiling water down the drain, proceed with caution.
How Often to Clean Your Drains
Weekly, flush drains with boiling water mixed with liquid grease-fighting dish soap, such as Dawn. Clean your drain with baking soda as soon as you notice the water is draining slowly. You can also use this process as a regular maintenance method for your drains. For example, if you keep a box of open baking soda in your refrigerator to absorb odors, use the old baking soda to flush your kitchen drain when it comes time to change the box.
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Pot
- Funnel
Materials
- Boiling water
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Distilled white vinegar
- Salt
Instructions
How to Clean a Drain with Baking Soda and Vinegar
1. Heat Boiling Water
Heat boiling water in a tea kettle on the stovetop or in a large pourable measuring cup in the microwave.
2. Pour Boiling Water and Dish Soap Into Drain
Squirt a bit of grease-fighting dish soap into the drain and carefully pour the boiling water down the drain. The dish soap will help dissolve greasy clogs.
3. Pour Baking Soda Into the Drain
Pour one cup of baking soda into the drain. You can use a measuring cup to do this or use a funnel if you have a smaller drain that makes it hard to pour directly into the drain opening.
4. Follow With Vinegar
Pour one cup of distilled white vinegar into the drain. Don’t be surprised by the audible reaction that occurs. Baking soda is an alkaline substance and vinegar is a mild acetic acid. When the two are mixed, they react somewhat dramatically to neutralize one another; the fizzing action you hear is the reaction that will often dislodge clogs in your drain.
5. Flush With More Hot Water
After the fizzing subsides, wait five minutes. Use this time to heat two cups of water to boiling. Flush the drain with this additional boiling water.
If the drain is now flowing, run hot tap water to flush all debris down the drain. If it is not draining, repeat the previous steps. If you haven’t cleaned your drain recently, it may be necessary to repeat the baking soda flush at least twice.
If a drain clog does clear after two or more attempts, the baking soda and salt method is described below.
