Unclog bathtub drain with vinegar and baking soda

In another life, I was blessed with thick, straight hair...that doesn't shed like wildfire every darn day. This is not that life. Like clockwork, every three months or so, I have to call up my building's super to unclog the sink and tub drains in my bathroom. So when I came across this tutorial on how to unclog a drain with baking soda and vinegar on CrunchyBetty.com, I was ready to grab my cleaning gloves and get started. A cheap, green method to clean my drain out with no grocery store trips required? You don't have to tell me twice.

Though I followed Crunchy Betty's directions to a T, my results were pretty lackluster. On first test, the sink seemed to work markedly more efficiently, but by the following day, the bath seemed to drain about 20% faster, but that's not that great when you're showering in ankle-deep water. Sometimes hard-to-reach clogs have to be removed mechanically, and turns out baking soda and vinegar won't help with fat, oil, and grease clogs (here's a helpful explanation from Bren Did), which explains why you should start with scalding hot water. This is why we've included tips on how to keep drains from clogging in the first place, along with our recommended DIY process for unclogging your drains and keeping them clean.

How Often to Clean Your Drains

Most plumbers recommend cleaning drains monthly to prevent clogs from occurring in the first place. After all, the effort and cost of doing so are minimal. With regular maintenance, you should only need to hire a professional to clean your drains every couple of years. And you might avoid ending up in ankle-deep water like I did.

What You Need

• Large pot
• Hot water
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Sink stopper
• Optional: plunger

How to Clean Drains with Vinegar and Baking Soda

1. If the sink or tub is not draining at all, add enough water to cover the bottom of a plunger. Place the plunger over the drain and press down and release the handle several times. Remove the plunger after several thrusts to see if the water starts draining. Repeat until it does.
2. Remove any drain cover or stopper that is obstructing your view of the drain. Then remove any materials you can see clogging the drain, like hair or food. (Tip: A wire coat hangar can be an effective tool for pulling out clogs that are just beyond reach.
3. Fill a large pot with very hot water. If necessary, water can be heated to scalding on the stove (do not pour boiling water down your drain, as it can damage the seal between PVC pipes).
4. Pour the hot water down the drain to dissolve and wash away any grease clogs.
5. After the water has finished draining, pour half a box of baking soda into the drain.
6. Measure a half cup of vinegar and pour it into the drain. Seal immediately with a sink stopper, so that pressure can build and help dislodge any materials.
7. After one hour, unplug the sink or tub.
8. Fill a large pot with very hot water as instructed earlier. Pour down the drain to flush it out.
9. Replace any drain covers or stoppers that you removed.

Tips to Keep Your Drains Clean Longer

How can you keep your drains from clogging in the first place? First off, use sink strainers and regularly clean any debris from strainers and throw it in the trash (a mesh screen is best for catching hair in the shower). Second, never pour grease down a drain—pour hot grease into a can to cool, and wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing. It's also a good idea to put coffee grounds and food waste in the trash or compost instead of the garbage disposal. And finally, place a washcloth over the tub drain before washing your pooch to catch its shedding fur.

When to Call a Professional

You might be tempted to try a store-bought liquid drain cleaner if you have trouble clearing a clog, but many have dangerous fumes and can even damage pipes. Try an enzyme or bacteria-based drain cleaner if you want to give it a shot. If your drain is still clogged or draining slowly, it's time to call for help. A professional can use more powerful tools to clear any clogs and identify other problems that might be present in your plumbing.

After a long soak in the bathtub, there is nothing worse than finding your water is draining slowly. While you may think, you need to call a plumber.

There is something you can do to clean drains. Most of the things you need you may have around your home

In this guide, you will find one of the best drain cleaners by using baking soda, vinegar, and a dose of hot water.

Besides just using this to clean drains, you can throw this mix down your drains every couple of weeks to keep all your drains clean and smelling fresh.

Baking soda and vinegar cleaning drain clogs can save a fortune on calling a plumber.

Does Baking Soda Unclog Drains?

You can find many methods that people use when trying to unclog drains. However, depending on the type of clog they are, they are not always effective at cleaning drains all the way through.

Vinegar and baking soda react with each other and foams as a result. This foaming action can break down stubborn scum and deposits when cleaning a drain, so water flows freely.

Here are examples of other methods people resort to clear their drains.

Hot Water: Pouring boiling water to clean a drain can help if it is fats and oils with no hard substances. However, once it cools, you can make the blockage worse.

Using plungers: A plunger can be used, and on some occasions, they help. However, they won’t clean your drains as well as other methods do.

Using bent wire hangers: If your blockage is hair, then a wire hanger can be the best solution. However, it means pulling this back into your bathtub, and you may not get all of it. Against, this won’t clear any residue buildup.

Using dish detergent: A mild solution to help keep drains clear. It won’t shift the stubborn blockage, yet it can help prevent things from sticking inside your drains.

Coke: Coke is caustic and can eat away at some stubborn blockages. All you do is pour a large bottle in your drain and let it sit for around an hour before washing it down with hot water.

Using plumber’s snakes: If you have a snake, then use it, or you can find yourself calling your plumber. Using these is much like an extended wire hanger, and won’t clear soap scum on the walls of your drains.

What works best to unclog a bathtub drain?

It may appear a hard job, yet once you try to unclog your drains, it can be easier than you think with your DIY drain cleaner.

It should be noted that some commercial drain cleaner options are caustic and can damage either pipes or joints when drain cleaning, especially if your home is old, and they are not all plastic.

Besides, using a commercial drain cleaner can leave a horrible lingering smell as you pour it down a clogged drain as well as having the chance to burn your skin.

You may find a combination of methods is required to get rid of a blockage. Yet, once you begin using baking soda and vinegar followed by hot water. There aren’t many other ways, which are as successful or as ecofriendly as these are. (Read About Baking Soda Laundry)

One of the best ways is to unclog a drain with vinegar and baking soda. It is safer for your health, while at the same time, it is tough on a clogged drain to clear the blockage, deodorize your pipes, and remove stubborn soap slime and scum that leads to a clogged drain.

How Much Baking Soda Does it Take to Unclog a Drain?

Before you even tackle cleaning the drain, it is good to understand the main things that cause this issue.

Minerals: You may have hard water, and over time, these deposits begin accumulating. As these build, they restrict the flow of water, and other things can catch on these to cause a blockage.

Hair: Hair is one of the main things as it matts inside the drains. It catches and clings to anything else and quickly causes blockages. If you pull hair from the drain, it is nearly always covered in soap slime.

Soap: Soaps are made from oils and fats, so if these don’t wash away effectively, they can accumulate quickly. Besides, it sticks to hair or the mineral deposits in the drain to cause stubborn clogs.

Here you can find the guidelines for cleaning drains with vinegar and baking soda.

1. Have plenty of boiling water available (Take your kettle into the bathroom).
2. Squirt some dishwashing detergent into your drain and then pour down the hot water. The first step can help loosen and break down the fats from soap scum.
3. Add 1 cup to 2 cups of baking soda into your drain. You may need a funnel to get this past the drain cover.
4. Add one cup of white vinegar. Most of the pressure from the reaction will want the foam to flow into your bath. Cover your drain, so it works downward.
5. Wait five minutes as you boil your kettle. Pour boiling water into the drain to flush debris and the used baking soda from your pipes. If it drains, turn on your hot water faucet and run for a while.
6. If you find the drain is letting water through but not fast, you can repeat the steps once or twice more.

If you don’t wish to sit in your tub pouring hot water in your drain, you can add one cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt into your drain. Cover the drain and let this sit overnight.

In the morning, boil your kettle and flush with boiling water.

Because these drains run at shallow angles, you are advised to use 1-cup baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water regularly for drain cleaning. It is also advisable to use baking soda and vinegar in your kitchen to help keep the drains there clean after a lot of use.

How much baking soda and vinegar does it take to unclog a bathtub?

Can vinegar and baking soda clear a clogged drain?

Does baking soda and vinegar dissolve hair?

Can you leave baking soda and vinegar in drain overnight?