A clogged drain is an issue of almost every household. It is a serious nuisance. The debris collects at the top of the sink as the water moves slowly down the drain and it gets smelly and dirty. But do you know that the clog can actually be cleared in a jiffy with your common household materials? And without calling in rooter services and spending money on expensive drain cleaners?
No Drain Cleaner Needed
Whenever in the past, you had a clogged sink, you would rush to the household store to buy drain cleaning chemicals or you would instantly call the plumber. This time, resist the urge to give in to your temptations and try a few magic tricks without spending an extra penny and clear your clog. You must be wondering what that thing is? It’s your household salt!! These magic white grains which give taste to your food also have the power to clear your clogs. You need to use it along with other household ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda and boiling water. These things contain acids which when mixed in certain quantities cause a chemical reaction which helps to break down and clear the clogs.
Using Salt And Vinegar
This is supposed to be mixed on the ratio of 1:1. The ratio is very important because certain quantities of the ingredients lead to a reaction and are effective. You can try by taking less and then increasing gradually to see which works best for you or according to the size of your clog.
Here we will take 1 cup iodized salt and one cup vinegar and mix it together till it becomes a smooth paste and has no grains left. Take out the sink plug and pour the mixture completely, but slowly. You can pour quarter to half a cup more vinegar to send the mixture down. Leave it for around 15 to 30 minutes depending on the nature of the clog. Vinegar is very acidic in nature and if left for long can corrode the pipes, so do make sure to not leave more than 30 minutes. Then pour a boiling hot kettle of water down the drain to release the clog and clear any salt and vinegar residue. You will need around 3 to 4 cups of boiling water. This will surely clear up a clogged drain. You can repeat the process every 15 days to prevent any type of clog in drain pipes. It is one of the most easiest ways to avoid sewer and drain clogs.
Using Baking Soda And Salt
Baking soda mixed together with salt can form a powerful cleaning agent. Baking soda alone has many cleaning properties. Using baking soda and salt in the ratio of 2:1. The right amount of ratio will lead to the ingredients pulling and removing all the slimy dirt and gunk of hair and debris. For thorough removal use 2 cups baking soda and 1 cup of salt or 1 cup of baking soda and half cup of salt. Pour the mixture down the drain and leave it to react for a few hours. This will give ample time to baking soda and salt to work its magic on stubborn clogs. After a few hours pour a kettle full of boiling and hot water and see how easily the water is travelling down your drain.
You can repeat the process on a monthly basis to prevent your drain from clogging up.
Once your clogs have been cleared, you need to make sure it does not form again. Clogs are formed by soap scum, hair, cleaning and foaming products, oil, fats, food debris and waste and other stuff which starts to get accumulated slowly and solidifies and forms bigger and bigger. Avoid throwing all these things down your drain as these things also cause a slow moving and a smelly drain.
Final Word
Next time you face a clog, you know where to head and what to do. You just need to take out salt and let it do its magic. However, if you try both of the methods and don’t see any fruitful results, you have only on option left – to call in drain contractors and let them inspect the drain pipes to come with a solution.