Stop Using Baking Soda and Vinegar for Clogged Drains—4 Things You Should Do Instead

Combining baking soda and vinegar is a popular way to unclog a drain. Fizz and bubbles seem like they would instantly cut through the toughest clog. But this favorite drain-clearing hack isn’t all that effective and may even harm your pipes.

Learn why you should never use baking soda and vinegar to unclog a drain—and four better solutions for fixing the problem just as easily.

4 Reasons to Avoid Baking Soda and Vinegar for Drains

Baking soda and vinegar make carbon dioxide gas, which then creates pressure. One idea is that the gas pressure can clear a clog by pushing it down the pipes and into the sewer. A variation of this idea is that the fizz and bubbles can gradually eat away the clog.

Avoid using baking soda and vinegar to unclog a drain. The method isn’t all that effective, and it may even damage the plumbing system.

• Insufficient pressure: Baking soda and vinegar create tremendous pressure, but only in a confined space. Pouring the mixture into an open drain creates little pressure.  
• Will not remove the clog: It’s best to remove and dispose of the drain clog whenever possible. Yet the baking soda and vinegar method—if it manages to create enough pressure—can only force the clog downward.
• Sink must be dry: You cannot unclog a sink with standing water by using baking soda and vinegar. If the sink has water, the baking soda and vinegar will dissipate before reaching the drain.
• May harm pipes: Blocking the top of the drain after pouring in baking soda and vinegar may create pressure that’s difficult to control. This pressure may damage thin, delicate PVC drain pipes.

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Better Solutions for Unclogging a Drain

Use more effective methods like plunging the drain or cleaning out the trap instead of trying to unclog it with baking soda and vinegar.

Use a Plunger

Using a plunger on the clogged drain is effective and inexpensive. In many cases, you can even pull the clog upward to dispose of it instead of forcing it farther down the sewer.

1. Choose the right plunger: Use a standard cup-style plunger with a flat bottom, not a toilet plunger with a flap on the bottom.
2. Fill the cup: Hold the plunger cup sideways in the standing water to fill it with as much water as possible.
3. Force the plunger: Carefully tilt the plunger so the handle is upright, then force the plunger up and down several times. 
4. Remove clog: Scoop out any clogs that come up by hand. Do this quickly before they go back down the drain.

Remove and Clean the Trap

Removing the sink U- or S-shaped drain trap lets you manually remove difficult clogs. While wet and messy, this simple method is highly effective and rarely requires tools.

1. Place a bucket underneath: Place a bucket under the drain trap inside the sink cabinet below the sink.
2. Disconnect the trap: By hand, unscrew the two large plastic nuts that hold the curved trap in place. Pour drain water from the trap into the bucket.
3. Clean the trap: Tap the trap several times over a trash can to remove the clog. Run a cloth through the trap to clean out the sludge.
4. Replace the trap: Replace the drain trap by fitting it back and turning the two plastic nuts clockwise by hand.

Use a Drain Snake

A drain snake or drain auger is a metal cable with a hook on the end. The hook can snag clogs located deep in drains and remove them.

1. Remove the trap: Remove the drain trap by unscrewing its two plastic nuts by hand. Let the excess water drain into a bucket.
2. Extend the cable: Loosen the thumb nut on the drain snake and extend it into the drain pipe until it hits the clog.
3. Snag the clog: Secure the thumb nut by turning it clockwise, then rotate the drain snake’s handle several times.
4. Remove the clog: Pull the drain snake’s cable to remove the clog on the hook. Be sure to pull the cable straight out, as rotating it may cause the clog to drop off.

Use Drain Cleaner

Where baking soda and vinegar can only hope to dissolve clogs, true drain cleaners actually do so—and often quite well. Drain cleaners can be used with standing water in the sink basin.

• Green cleaners: Eco-friendly drain cleaners like Green Gobbler or Bio-Clean chew up soft clogs with non-toxic enzymes. While the method may not work for difficult clogs, there’s never a chance of damaging pipes.
• Lye-based cleaners: Caustic cleaners like Drano are toxic, but they may be what you need for stubborn clogs. Since these cleaners contain bleach, they cut through the worst grease, soap scum, sludge, and hair.