You may be surprised to learn that pouring soda down the drain does work for some clogs. To be specific, you need a dark-colored cola (such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi). This type of carbonated beverage usually contains a good amount of phosphoric acid, which given enough time, can eat away at some types of clogs.
To get started, purchase a two-liter bottle of Coke and allow it to acclimate to room temperature. After pouring it down the drain, let it fizz and work its corrosive power for an hour or two before running hot water.
Mix together 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1/3 cup of vinegar. The result will fizz almost immediately—it's important that you pour it down your clogged drain right away so you don't lose the effects of that reaction.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
If you plan to use vinegar and baking soda to unclog your drain you should pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain and 1/2 cup vinegar, plug the drain and then let that sit for one hour. After the hour is up, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.
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Pour the entire bottle down the clogged drain. Allow it to sit in the drain for at least an hour or two (or even up to 24 hours for stubborn clogs). Flush drain with boiling water. Repeat as necessary.
The phosphoric acid present in cola inhibits the growth of mould and bacteria in the sugary liquid. Phosphoric acid is an effective drain cleaning agent, though not as toxic as it sounds. It can clear your blocked drain without any damage on your pipes.
So, what can coca-cola dissolve? Coke can dissolve anything that can dissolve in water. The myth is that you can dissolve a quarter or a nail in a glass of Coke. But, it has been debunked through experiments and nothing happens even if you leave it in for 7 days.
While the phosphoric acid found in cola can help alleviate some minor clogs, carbonated beverages are certainly not the ideal drain cleaner. Better DIY methods include a baking soda/vinegar mixture, a plunger, or a plumber's snake.
If your drain is clogged with hair, baking soda can dissolve hair in a drain. To try this safe and easy method at home - first, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar (white vinegar) down. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes.
BLEACH DOESN'T CLEAR DRAIN CLOGS.
It cannot dissolve things like food waste, breadcrumbs, grease, and hair. Instead, pouring bleach into a clogged drain will make things worse. The bleach could react with other chemicals, creating dangerous fumes, and if the reaction is violent, it can even burst your drain pipes.
To fight even tougher stains, apply the cola directly to the stain and let it soak for up to 30 minutes before tossing it in a regular wash cycle.
Sodas like Pepsi or Coca-Cola can clean the grime off of pipes because of their acidity. However, this is not a quick solution because these sugary sodas leave behind their own film: sugar syrup. If you've ever dealt with a sticky soda stain, you probably know that everything seems able to stick to sugar syrup.
So instead of purchasing those expensive fizzies or abrasive toilet bowl cleaners, head to the fridge and let the carbonation of Coke work its magic on filthy rings, lime buildup, and water stains. Because Coca-Cola contains carbonic, citric, and phosphoric acids, it's great for tough stains and dissolving rust.
Slightly. It's acidic and that will help dissolve some compounds that can build up in pipes. It will, over time, corrode metal piping, but if you have plastic drain piping, there's not much risk.
Coke works wonders as a bathtub cleaner! If your tub has developed nasty stains over the years, simply pour a cup of Coke over the stains and leave it to soak overnight. The next morning, either spray the residue from the tub's sides using a hand water sprayer or wipe it off using a wet cloth.
It'll run down and mix with the water, but leave behind an invisible layer of acid residue. The hardest part is letting the Coke work its magic. The longer you leave the acid, the better. An hour is the bare minimum, with overnight being the best.
Hydrochloric acid is highly effective and can quickly clear even the toughest clogs. However, it is important to exercise caution when working with this acid as it can be dangerous if not handled properly. Always wear protective gear such as gloves, goggles, and a mask when working with hydrochloric acid.
You can use baking soda for a number of household chores, including unclogging drains. Combine baking soda with vinegar and hot water to remove stubborn clogs. Clean your drains and keep them clear by flushing them with baking soda once a week.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
First, make sure there is no water in the sink. Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of table salt, and then pour a cup of white vinegar. Wait for ten minutes and then flush it with boiling water. After that, the drain should be clear!