Learn how to naturally clean a clogged drain and unstop a slow running sink without using toxic chemicals or calling a plumber! (Hint: You probably have the supplies in your home and it's not baking soda and vinegar!)
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Have you ever had a clogged drain? The most embarrassing clog of my life occurred the year we hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my entire family. Somewhere between the liquid turkey fat and potato peels my kitchen drain gave up and began regurgitating murky brown water mixed with bits of food from the disposal.
Watching me frantically plunge the kitchen sink was NOT the most appetizing pre-dinner activity.
Commercial Drain Cleaners
What's even worse than an embarrassing clog? Being forced to use dangerous chemicals to unstop backed up sinks and clean slow flowing drains.
Flush the toxic chemicals and learn the easy way to naturally clean a clogged drain and speed up slow flowing pipes.
(Hint: You probably have the supplies in your home and it's not baking soda and vinegar!)
What Causes Disgusting Drain Clogs?
Have you ever tried to stop a leaking air mattress from deflating? It's impossible to stop the air loss until you find the hole.
The same principle applies when cleaning a clogged drain… you cannot clean and declog if you don't know the cause of the problem.
Most household drain clogs are caused by four substances.
Kitchen Sink Clog Causes
- Fat, Oil and Grease (or FOG): Fatty substances are the number one cause of kitchen sink clogs and slow draining sinks. – they go down the drain easily in a liquid state (think hot grease in a pan or dissolved fat in warm dishwater) BUT as they move through your pipes the fat cools. This solid fat coats the pipes' insides getting thicker and thicker until you have a slow drain or complete blockage.
- Food Particles: Large food particles or vegetable peels that become trapped in the curved pipe beneath the sink (also known as the p-trap) are another common cause of kitchen drain clogs.
Bathroom Sink Clog Causes
- Hair: Hair is the most common cause of bathroom drain clog. The hair easily goes down the drain with water then accumulates inside the pipe building up until the line is blocked. These clogs usually occur right below the drain.
- Soap Scum: Greasy soap residue and particles can also coat the interior of pipes and cause a blockage. In some cases the soap buildup can become so bad it can actually corrode the pipes.
The Right Tool (or Trick) for the Clog
After you make an educated guess about the cause of the clog, four tools and tricks will help you naturally unclog your drain and remove debris without calling a plumber.
1. A Plunger
- Works On: Food particles or objects stuck in the p-trap (the curved pipe) beneath your sink. Try this on completely clogged or slow-draining drains.
- How to Use: Clear the surrounding area in case of water splashes. Fill the sink halfway with warm water then give your sink a good plunging using a rubber plunger. Rinse drain with hot water.
- Why This Works: The plunger dislodges stuck food particles and allows them to pass down through the drain pipe. The water rinse washes them down the drain.
2. Long Wire Hook
- Works On: Hair or small objects stuck in bathroom drains. Try this on completely clogged or slow-draining bathroom drains.
- How to Use: Bend the end of a long piece of wire into a small hook using pliers (a coat hanger works great) or get a drain cleaning tool. Carefully remove the drain cover, remove any visible debris, then insert the hook. (You’ll want to wear gloves, it is gross.) Pull the hook back up and remove any debris (this will be a bunch of decomposing hair and gunk). Use the hook a few times in the drain to make sure you entirely clear the debris. Dispose of the debris in the garbage.
- Why This Works: The hook removes the hair and debris that was blocking the drain, leaving it clean and free-flowing.
3. Liquid Dish Detergent and Hot Water
- Works On: Grease clogs or fat narrowed pipes. Try this on slow-draining kitchen drains.
- How to Use: Heat 2 liters (a large pot of water) to a boil then stir in a few tablespoons of natural hand washing dish detergent or Sal's Suds. Slowly pour the nearly boiling water down the slow running drain and then flush with hot tap water. This can take several pans of detergent and hot water.
- Why This Works: The hot water melts some of the grease narrowing the pipes, and the dish detergent helps to dissolve the fat. This combination of cleaners removes the gunky buildup and allows drain pipes to run more freely.
4. Salt and Hot Water
- Works On: Grease or soap clogs and fat or soap narrowed pipes. Try this on slow-draining kitchen and bathroom drains.
- How to Use: Pour one-half cup of salt down the slow-moving drain. Heat 2 liters of water until it is nearly boiling then slowly pour down the drain and flush with hot tap water. It may take several rounds of salt and hot water. You can use any type of salt (table salt, sea salt, or kosher salt).
- Why This Works: The hot water melts some of the grease that is narrowing the pipes. The salt has an abrasive texture that acts as a natural scouring agent, forcing more greasy build up out. This combination of cleaners removes the gunky buildup and allows drain pipes to run more freely.
5. Biological Enzyme Cleaner
- Works On: Organic based clogs like grease, hair, and soap. Try this on slow-draining kitchen and bathroom drains and homes with septic systems. Enzyme cleaners can also be used regularly to keep drains free of organic material and odors.
- How to Use: Follow package directions. Best used overnight when drains are not being used.
- Why This Works: Biological cleaners such as Earth Enzymes Drain Opener or Biokleen Drain Gel contain enzymes and/or bacteria that eat through the organic material in the clog to clear the drain. These cleaners can be used in homes with septic systems because they don’t kill beneficial bacteria. (Green Gobbler Drain Clog Remover is another popular solution, it uses monosodium sulfate, a non-toxic acid, to remove drain gunk.)
How to Prevent Drain Clogs From Coming Back
After you declog a drain, follow these five guidelines to prevent the problem from reoccurring:
1 – Never put FOG (Fats, Oil or Grease) down a drain or garbage disposal. Any substance high in fat (think bacon grease, coconut oil, butter, peanut butter, and other high fat food) should be cooled and then disposed of in the trash or wiped into the trash before washing.
2 – Don’t use hot tap water to melt fats so they can be rinsed down the drain. They will cool and clog your pipes!
3 – Dispose of food waste and vegetable peels in the trash! Do not put onion peels, potato peels, banana peels, egg shells, rice, pasta, celery, and so on down the garbage disposal or sink drain. Check your manufacturer’s guide for details.
4 – Install a hair filter in bathroom drains. Never flush hair down the drain when cleaning, wipe loose strands up and throw them away in the trash.
5 – Flush kitchen drains once a month with salt and hot water. This combination prevents greasy build-up and keeps drains running at full capacity.
Get More Green Cleaning Advice
- See my baking soda and vinegar experiment and learn why you should never use it to clean drains!
- Learn more about green cleaning combination that are dangerous or do not work.
I hope these tips keep you from getting an embarrassing drain clog and help you flush the toxic chemicals!
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Lynn says
I first tried the mechanical method (inserting something down the pipe) to clear my excruciatingly slow-draining bathroom sink pipe, and it did nothing. Finally I did the baking soda & vinegar thing. Just before going to bed I poured baking soda down, followed by vinegar, and left it overnight. Worked like a charm.
My theory is this: the bubbling action dislodged or broke up whatever was built up, so that it simply was carried away when I turned the water on the next day. The only alternative to dislodging would be dissolving, which in the case of hair, etc., would require caustic chemicals, which of course we want to avoid entirely.
Bren says
I’m glad it worked for you!
ele says
I just tried your way Bren hat water & dish soap. Admittedly, very skeptical. I was shocked! Why wait over night when this technique works almost instantaneously? Thank you!
Bren says
I’m so glad it worked for you, Ele! I was every skeptical at first too but I’ve had fabulous results!
Kristyn says
What a great idea!
Teri says
Personally I use a plunger with co2 cartridges, it works like an air gun with no physical effort. You flip the head for drains vs toilets. Most people use the wrong plunger for the job.
Bren says
Wow, that’s a high power plunger!
Vincent Leonard says
It’s really a very interesting and informative post. I guess nobody knows that baking soda & vinegar drain cleaner does not work for blocked drains.I will recommend your post to my family & friends.
Bren says
Thanks Vincent. I am so happy to have a positive comment from a person who actually works in drain services! I am glad you stopped by the blog.
Amanda says
Can you please give the recipe for the dish washing soap. Thank you!
Bren says
Amanda, I made my own hand dish-washing liquid detergent!
Daniel Leyland says
It is a very useful post! I agree with you that if we pour hot water regularly in drains then we can prevent them from clogging. In addition, to that, you should also use strainer while cleaning the vessels and platform, so that you can avoid the food particles from entering the drain.
Bren says
Excellent advice Daniel! Thanks for sharing!
EllaM says
Don’t use the salt too much, it can cause the pipes in your drain to corrode. Also if you are on a septic system too much salt can eat away at the tank. So if you use salt to soften your water, and you’re unclogging your drain with salt all the time it could increase the change of issues.
Bren says
Actually drain cleaner and antibacterial cleaning products are much more dangerous to a septic system than salt or salt softened water. You can read more about it here. Corrosion usually occurs when metal is standing in salt water. This method rinse the salt away quite quickly. I feel safer using salt than store bought drain cleaners.
Rosalyn says
Just poured a caustic drain cleaner down the kitchen sink. Rats! Wish I had seen this before! Now I know why vinegar and baking soda wasn’t working! Great post, very informative. Thanks!
Bren says
Thanks Rosalyn! Hope you have luck with these cleaners in the future!
Maddy at Home says
The thing is, you should NEVER pour anything fatty down your drain. The water may stay hot in your pipes but once it leaves your house it goes cold and the fat will solidify.
Bren says
You are correct Maddy, just like I mention above –> “Never put FOG (Fats, Oil or Grease) down a drain or garbage disposal. Any substance high in fat (think bacon grease, coconut oil, butter, peanut butter, and other high fat food) should be cooled and then disposed of in the trash or wiped into the trash before washing. Don’t use hot tap water to melt fats and rinse them down the drain, they will cool and clog the pipes!”
Zequek Estrada says
Well, it looks like I won’t be using baking soda and vinegar to clean my drain. It also sounds like anything now a days will clog your drain. It seems like a good time to be a plummer.
Bren says
I don’t think there a bad time to be a plumber! Glad you found the post.
Debbi says
I was a science teacher and had my middle schoolers mix vinegar and baking soda in a plastic bag and feel the temperature change from the reaction (it gets cold). The beauty of this was that the end product was perfectly harmless water if anyone decided to open the bag! This always made we wonder why the entire universe seems to swear by this as a remedy for clogged drains; there is no reason to expect it to do anything about gunky buildup. I hope your post is widely distributed so people will stop expending time and money trying this non-solution. Thanks for posting!
Bren says
Thanks Debbi! I’m glad to have a science teacher’s opinion!
fran says
I heat the vinegar in the microwave ..let combo sit then rinse with very hot water
Bren says
I bet the hot vinegar and hot water help to melt the F.O.G. buildup!
Shawna Lisa says
Thank you for the great info. I just unclogged my bathroom sink using the old baking soda & vinegar. I used hot vinegar from the microwave, but I think the trick was closing the sink trap as the fizzing started. I did this 2 times & then heard a sloshy slurp from the P trap piping. Gross sound!!! I waited 5 min & then flushed the pipes with lots of hot tap water. Did this 2 weeks ago & the water drains perfectly.
Bren says
I bet heating the vinegar helps to get rid of some of the FOG! Thanks for commenting.
Angela says
We successfully used this too, but the key is to plug the drain…its kinds like using a plunger from inside the pipe, its not the solution that results from the chemical reaction that does anything, its the pressure of the reaction its self, and you want to block that coming up and force it down presumable through the clog, then flush with boiling water to get anything that is left.
Barrie Peachey says
Hot water is always the safest solution, just remember to avoid those nasty chemicals as they can erode your drain pipes over time
Bren says
Thanks Barrie, I agree!
Ursa says
Hi Bren,
tried your method today, it was a combination of salt and then hot water with dish detergent. I repeated it three times in a row, it unclogged the drain the second time, so I just poured hot water with little detergent the third time for good measure :). Will repeat the process in the bathroom and then every few weeks to prevent clogging. Thank you for the great advice!
Bren says
I am so glad it worked for you! Score one for green cleaning!
Pam says
I just learned a valuable lesson! You can teach an older teacher new tricks! I was going to say, “Dog”
but decided to be nine to me! Thanks
Bren says
No old dogs here, just seasoned learners (hee, hee)! Thanks for commenting. -Bren
Allan Taylor says
The same recommendation regarding boiling water is on crunch betty website and i am sending the same response that I sent to crunch betty….which, by the way, never responded.
PLEASE PLEASE check to see about poring boiling or very hot water down a drain. Most drain piping currently being used is PLASTIC…PVC…ABS which cannot tolerate high temp water.
Look at the max temp rating for PVC pipe ABS type…I think you will find max temp to be about 150-160 degrees. ABS is designed for high temps but not boiling water.
I hope you will read this and respond. I am offering this advice to help protect drainage systems.
Bren says
You are absolutely correct, Allan. Boiling water should not be poured down the drain. This is why I recommend nearly boiling water in the post… hotter than my tap water but not hot enough to damage the PVC. Thanks for commenting!
Janice says
I had a professional plumber tell me that in the kitchen sink, ALWAYS run water for close to a minute before turning on disposer. Then turn off disposer when particles are gone and LET THE WATER RUN AGAIN. He said people don’t push the debris all the way through the pipe with the water. The particles get stuck and build up. That’s what causes sink back-up and odor.
Tonight I tried using coarse salt and hot water. It worked great for me in a bathroom tub/shower unit and sink.
Thank you for this post. I will not use vinegar/baking soda again.
Bren says
Great tips for using the disposal correctly, Janice! I am so glad the salt and hot water worked for you.
Angela says
Will hot water and detergent work on a completely clogged kitchen drain? (Clogged from melted butter).
I made the mistake of trying Draino and that didn’t work. So I now have a sink clogged with chemicals too 🙁
Bren says
It should work if the drain is clogged with butter. (The hot water should melt the butter and the weight of the water helps the clog pass.) Since you have added Draino I would use hot water only, make sure to wear protective eyewear, and keep everything away from the sink in case it back ups when pouring down the hot water. You want to be VERY VERY careful around the Draino. Good luck!
Alberto says
It’s definitely a extremely helpful and informative article. Many thanks.
Bren says
Thanks Alberto!
June says
Great article…… enjoyed the. Comments…but is it true not to pour boiling water down pvc pipes because the joints loosen with time?????
Bren says
It is not something you want to do all the time!
Gary says
We had to replace some pipework where harsh chemicals were used to attempt to declog a drain, natural methods wherever possible are much more favourable. Thanks.
Bren says
Thanks, Gary!
Yilliang Peng says
Thanks for the advice on how to naturally clean a clogged drain. I had never thought to use salt and hot water to clear up my drains. My wife is really into using natural substances and cleaners around the home, so she will be delighted when I tell her that I found a natural way to clear up clogged drains. Thanks again!
Morgan Colin says
Very valuable tips. This was an awesome and helpful article. Thank you very much for sharing..
Bren says
Thanks, Morgan!
Vivienne says
Did the hot water and detergent soap thing. Instantly worked. You are a goddess for thinking this up. I was so tempted to use baking soda and vinegar, luckily we didn’t have baking soda so I had to search for alternatives! I glad I ended up here in this site.
Thanks to you, my mother won’t find out that I accidentally clogged the kitchen drain.
Bren says
Thanks, Vivienne! I’m glad it worked for you!
clogged drain says
Thanks a lot for sharing these valuable tips. Looks like I don’t need a plumber anymore and can solve all blocked drains on my own now. I love all of these sites helping me to do things on my own…
Cheers
Tobi
Bren says
Thanks, Tobi!
Mark says
Thanks for the info just got new s s sink, scared! But, hopeful. THANKS!!
Bren says
Good luck!
Vince says
With a few inexpensive tools and a little practice you can clear up all the most stubborn drain clogs in less than an hour. But if you need help you can also call a plumber. Sometimes doing business with professionals can save you a lot of time.
Bren says
You’re right, when in doubt call a plumber!
Simon Waruingi says
Nice read. i will try this one at home
Bren says
Thanks, Simon!
Alicia says
The hot water and dish soap worked like a charm for me, thanks!
Bren says
Hooray, so glad it worked!
Cara says
Bren, thank you SO much for taking the time to research, and to write this post. I was thinking to myself that maybe baking soda would work to unclog our pitifully slow-draining bathroom sink. I Googled, glanced at several articles about using baking soda/vinegar, but then saw your article. I hadn’t heard of, and wouldn’t have THOUGHT of, using salt.
I really didn’t have the time to take to do it just now, but thought “what the heck — I’ll just try a little salt real quick.” In under 10 minutes my sink, which would fill up completely in under 15 seconds and take well over 2 minutes to drain, is draining in under a minute!!! I am astounded!!! And SOOOO happy!!!
I have long avoided synthetic chemical cleaners, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and eat as much healthy, whole food as possible. That said, until this morning, I hadn’t found any ‘green’ solution that worked for clearing my horribly clogged bathroom sink.
I will regularly be using this method from now on.
Thanks again!!
Bren says
I’m glad the salt helped, Cara!
Whitfield says
I grew up using the coat hanger method for many things, sink cleaning, locked doors, etc lol, I love this article on natural methods and the plunger can definitely be your best friend when it comes to plunging a sink, I am often surprised when someone tells me they didn’t think about that.
Bren says
Thanks, Whitfield!
Carol says
Plumbing contractor ‘s daughter here. A drain is a drain, and can all be ‘plunged’. HINT: try the action on the floor in the store to confirm it works for you (ie, not too stiff!)
Bren says
Great tip, Carol!
jeanne says
Thank you, Bren! I have been frustrated lately and so fed up with my disgusting slow-draining sink and tub. My so-called tried and true baking soda and vinegar was not working. (Thankfully I have a dishwashing tub that I use for soaking my feet–I have been standing in this while showering because the water collects in the tub, eek!!!) Going to try your genius methods tonight for the bathtub. It has already worked in the bathroom sink. 🙂
Bren says
Woo, hooo! I am so glad the natural drain cleaner worked for you, Jeanne. Slow drains are no fun.
Steve Mitchell says
Bren, your research, experiment and informed opinions / facts are most impressive and priceless. I’m a widower, long time English instructor in a small, non-English, college village. So, I have only one option, to unclog narrow plastic drain in 40-year old bathroom sink — rock salt and a one-litre electric kettle. I could only force down a tablespoon of rock salt with a wooden chopstick. Hardly noticeable effect on the initial application. However, with each try, I saw improvements. I expect complete cleanout before too long.
On my 4th try now, with managing to stuff almost 4 tablespoons of salt into drain. Thank you so much for your outstanding report / article / blog. You are an angel !
Again Bren, many thanks, from South Korea.
Have a positive, productive day, educating and saving humanity, as Donald would say, making America [ and the whole world ] great again, one clogged drain at a time.
Steve
Bren says
Thanks for commenting, Steve. I am so glad the salt and hot water worked on your drain! I love South Korea… your location brought a smile to my face!
Joy says
A picture is definitely worth a thousand words. After seeing the one with the grease clogged pipe, I’ll never put grease or fat down my drain ever again. That’s one scary looking clog.
Bren says
I agree! I hope to never see such a clog in my drain!
Kristen Halley says
Hi Bren,
I appreciate your Post, valuable advice . I enjoyed reading it and learnt some new tips!
Thanks for posting the article.
Bren says
Thanks, Kristen!
Charlie says
I have never clogged my kitchen sink but have a pamphlet from akaction.org with the vinegar solution so id just told a friend to try it. Then decided to Google it and found your other post which i shared with her. Something i do not understand is why the vinegar did not have impact on butter in your experiment. I use it exclusively to clean my home. Sometimes i have to leave it on a spot for awhile, but it has never failed to cut through the filth to allow wiping it clean. It cuts through grease and i thought butt was similar so i was very surprised. Not really surprised about not unclogging unless used with hot water.
However, I am extremely surprised about the risk of damage if you pour hot liquid down drain so I Googled that, too. what I found leads me to believe the water need not be boiling to cause damage. I think you might be incorrect about this.
http://www.balkandraincleaning.com/sewer-drain-pipe-cleaning-facts-information-solutions/
. “Most chemical-based cleaners generate heat inside the pipe; PVC may not withstand the heat and it will melt, or harm the integrity of the pipe joints. On the other hand, metal-based pipes such as galvanized steel and cast iron can corrode. So be careful which product you use”
It is not clear to me that the water must be boiling in order to damage pipes, but I found both of your posts informative and helpful. For my bathroom drains I have used wire method. Disgusting with or without gloves lol. I am going to check out your enzyme links
Bren says
Thanks for commenting, Charlie. You can read more about cleaning with vinegar here. It is a great cleaner but works better on basic soils.
Steffie says
I love all your suggestions for slow running drains. However, an you help me with a kitchen double sink drain that is running fine but I can’t stand the moldy smell anymore. After w moved here the drain completely stopped up and called the plumber and he worked for hours getting the grease out. I do not put grease down at all. When he used the plungeer on either side he plugged up the other side with a rag and the filthy water backed up into my diswasher that is attached to the drain.
My question is I think I have mold build up in the drain (I changed the sink stoppers and that did no good) and so far only used grease relief, a natural mold cleaner (M2 ) and hot water with dish detergent. Am thinking of using vinegar and baking soda to kill the mold but do you think it is safe as the dishwasher detergent contains bleach and this water drains into the sink drain. Is there a chance of creating a problem if I use vinegar in the drain? How much water wouyld I have to use to wsh it away before using the vinegar?
Do you have any other ideas to c lean out a smelly musty drain in the kitchen. Also would I have to put the vinegar and baking soda in both sides – I imagine I would or the pipe from the other part of the sink to the main drain would not get any benefit I guess., so how much do I put where? Tjhanks for any suggestions as I am 80 years old and very allergic to mold and need help. Did not want to call the plumber over this as can’t afford it especially just fora smelly drain – plus the last time he was here it took me days to really get things cleaned up. I am not feeling well enough to do plumber cleanup.
Thank you for any help and suggestion.
Steffie says
Add on to above post: There is no smell in my dishwasher at all so there is no problem with that — only the sink drain. However I do wish the diswasher had a backflow valve of some sort so I never experience what happened from the plumber with the back up when he did his plunging. Gross!
Thank you.
Bren says
Steffie, to neutralize drain odor I would use white vinegar by itself. Vinegar is a great deodorizer all by itself. Good luck!
Mich says
A safety note for those plunging a bathroom sink that has an overflow drain at the back. The water may spray back out through this drain…plunge carefully rather than vigorously and be prepared to pull out quickly.
Bren says
Thanks for the tip, Mich.
Shirley says
I have a spare shower which is very rarely used, the place is new but recently has a bad odour coming from the drain, any tips on how to get rid of it, have tried the baking soda & :vinegar but only took the smell away for a few days , need some help please
Bren says
My contractor suggest running the drain at least once a month to keep the Ptrap wet. I also saw this tip for using vegetable oil to keep the smell out: https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/drain-repair/how-to-seal-basement-water-traps-with-oil/view-all/
Evangeline Santos says
Thanks for this article!
Bren says
🙂
Connie Haley says
I would like to know how to keep the washing machine drain from getting clogged. I have a septic tank and the pipe was completely clogged. I have lived in this house 35 years and never had this problem. We had to use a plumber’s snake to unclog it cause it was completely clogged with lint and stuff…I want to keep up the maintenance to keep from having this problem again and don’t know what to use,can you suggest something?
Bren says
I’m not sure what advice to offer, Connie. Hopefully it only happens once every 35 years!