The short answer is probably, yes. If your hair clog is not particularly huge, it is very likely that a baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and vinegar concoction will help to dissolve hair clogs and keep your shower drain working properly.
Pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar works best) and 1 cup boiling water down the drain. (Substitute lemon juice for vinegar for a great-smelling drain ? Plug the drain to keep the vinegar baking soda reaction below the drain surface.
The answer is that vinegar will not harm your pipes if used in small doses as recommended in many of the recipes that you find online. No matter what your pipes are made of, pex, pvc, copper, etc. Vinegar will not harm your water pipes.
Vinegar contains acid which neutralizes odor, cuts through grease and helps disinfect. By heating up (but not boiling) four cups of vinegar, pouring half down the drain, running the water for a minute and then pouring the remaining vinegar down the drain, you can help eliminate smells and smaller clogs.
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.
The culprit behind smelly shower drains is bacteria, which flourishes in warm damp places like the bathroom. Once you unclog your drain, mix one part bleach with one part water and pour down the drain to kill the odor-causing bacteria. If you do this and it still smells, it might be time to call a plumber.
Can you leave baking soda in the drain overnight? It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain.
Preventative Maintenance
Pouring bleach into the drain when the unit is not operating can leave residual bleach, which will damage the drain pan and line. Using vinegar for preventative maintenance throughout the year will keep your drain clean and clear and will not damage your line.
You can unclog drains with the power of acids and bases. Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain, and follow it with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. It will fizz and foam, breaking down the clogs and deodorizing. After about 15 minutes, pour hot water down the drain.
What is this black gunk in my drain? The black gunk that accumulates in your drain is created by a build up of bacteria living on hair, hand soaps, shaving cream, skin cells, lotion, toothpaste, and phlegm.
You can also pour vinegar down the drain on its own.
Pour about 1 cup of vinegar down your drain and let it sit for 30-40 minutes.
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.
As with stone, vinegar can eat away at certain metals over time. Although the weak acidity in your cleaning solution won't do much harm, cleaning and rinsing away any remaining vinegar after using it will protect your shower door tracks, sink drains, and faucets.
Mix vinegar and baking soda: Mix one-third cup of baking soda and one-third cup of vinegar together. Pour the solution into your drain and let it sit for about an hour. After the solution has had time to fizz up and cleanse the piping, run hot water down the pipe to remove any remaining solution and debris.
Using Hydrogen Peroxide on a Clogged Drain
Hydrogen peroxide dissolves organic matter to loosen and flush away debris such as skin cells. It also disinfects the drain as it works by reducing germs inside your pipes and making your sinks smell fresh and clean.
Some people say weekly, bi-monthly or quarterly. However, we feel that cleaning your drains monthly should be sufficient to avoid major plumbing issues. A monthly cleaning will allow you to use safe cleaning methods which will save you time, energy and money in the long term.
Best Overall
In just 15 minutes, our pick for the best drain cleaner, Drano Max Gel, will clear up clogs in sinks, tubs, PVC, septic tanks, and garbage disposals. It's safe for piping and septic systems, with a thick gel that sinks into standing water to the source of the clog.
Pouring boiling water is quite risky as it might lead to a steam burn or scalding. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of material you are pouring in into. If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road.
Do you need to rinse after washing with vinegar? If you have used vinegar in your washing machine to clean or to do laundry, then you do not need to run a rinse cycle afterward as a standard laundry cycle runs a plain water cycle towards the end anyway to remove any residue left behind.
Step 1: Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt. Step 2: Pour the mixture down the drain. Step 3: Pour 1 cup heated vinegar down your drain; the concoction is going to foam and bubble. Step 4: Let the solution stand for 15 minutes (longer does not work any better).
The P-trap is a U-shaped pipe design containing water to prevent sewer gases from coming back up into the shower. To resolve this issue, periodically run some water down the drain when the shower isn't being used. This will keep the P-trap full and prevent odors from escaping.
The sewage smell you're experiencing, which may also resemble the smell of dirt or rotten eggs, could be the result of a few different factors including, but not limited to, gases in your drain caused by bacteria from food and waste, or an issue with your hot water heater.
If your shower drain stinks of sewage, it's an indication that your P-trap isn't effectively preventing sewer gases from leaking into your bathroom. If you're dealing with a mustier or general odor and your P-trap is still clogged, it's probably because it needs to be cleaned.