For years, people have regarded drain cleaning with vinegar and baking soda as a quick remedy for a clog. But is this mixture an effective miracle fix or simply a myth? Dan’s Drain Services is the professional team of plumbers in Medina, OH, and the surrounding area you can rely on. We offer expertise and quality solutions for your big and small plumbing problems, including the definitive solutions for clogged drains. 

A completely clogged drain will require the help of a professional plumber, but vinegar and baking soda might provide relief from a partially clogged drain. You don’t need harsh chemicals to break up food particles clogging your sink — these two household items can get the job done.

Drain cleaning with vinegar and baking soda can help your sink function until a professional plumber arrives. Whether you’re making dinner for your family or hosting friends for a party, a clogged drain can spoil your evening. Read on to learn precisely how drain cleaning with vinegar and baking soda works.

Why Does Drain Cleaning With Vinegar and Baking Soda Work?

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a household staple that works wonders to clean clothes, appliances, and clogged or smelly drains. It dissolves mineral deposits and other organic materials, such as grease. 

Baking soda has slight disinfectant properties for fighting odor-causing bacteria and fungi. If you think of this as a science experiment, sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline base. Vinegar is a mild acetic acid, so when you mix them, there’s a chemical reaction that results in carbon dioxide and water.

When you pour them down the drain, bubbles form to produce a fizzing and popping sound. The bubbles attack the fat, grease, or solidified oil residues and are attached to food particles. These combinations in your sink are the reason why you have a clog. 

Drain cleaning with vinegar and baking soda works because this combination causes the bubbles that break up the clog. Together, they work as effective short-term drain cleaners. 

How to Unclog a Drain With Vinegar and Baking Soda

Here are step-by-step instructions for drain cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. Follow these steps, and you should be able to clear a partially clogged drain in your kitchen:

1. Heat boiling water.

Use a kettle and your stovetop to heat some boiling water, or heat a measuring cup in your microwave. Once you have hot water, grab some dish soap.

2. Pour the boiling water and dish soap down the drain.

Remove your drain cover, then squirt a bit of grease-fighting dish soap down the drain. Next, carefully pour the boiling water down the drain. 

3. Pour baking soda into the drain.

Measure and pour one cup of baking soda down the drain. You can use a measuring cup or a funnel with a smaller drain opening. 

4. Add vinegar to your drain.

Pour one cup of white vinegar into your drain. At this point, you’ll hear the fizzing and popping sounds because the vinegar interacts with the baking soda to produce carbon dioxide.

The noises you hear in your drain mean the vinegar and baking soda are working to neutralize each other. The fizzing sound is the reaction that unclogs your drain. 

5. Flush with more hot water.

When the fizzing sound stops, wait five minutes. During this time, heat two more cups of boiling water. Then, flush your drain with these two cups of hot water. 

Test your drain. If it’s working correctly, run hot tap water to flush the debris down the drain. If it’s still clogged, repeat the previous steps. If it’s been a while since you cleaned your drain, you might have to clean it with baking soda and vinegar at least twice or call in a professional drain cleaning service. 

What to Do When Vinegar and Baking Soda Doesn’t Work

Basic kitchen cleaning methods only go so far. If the clog is deeper down in your pipes, you’ll need a professional to unclog your drain. You might not know everything that’s gone down your drain, especially if you’ve recently moved into your house or apartment.

If vinegar and baking soda aren’t fixing your clog, call the team of professionals you can trust. Dan’s Drain Services provides drain repair service in Summit County, OH, that fixes your drain at an affordable price. We also offer regular maintenance that prevents issues from developing in your plumbing system. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment!