Leave it in the drain for an hour or two or overnight, and then flush the drain with hot tap water. For larger drains, such as tubs and kitchen sinks, use about a quarter-cup of baking soda, a half-cup of water to move the powder down, and 2 cups of vinegar.
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.
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid; when the two are combined, you get a fizzy chemical reaction that has some properties that can eat away at a clog. However, when you use this combination to unclog a drain, it's just plain ineffective.
However, the extreme amounts of acid in vinegar, along with its acidic nature, are what cause the drain to become blocked. For example, baking soda and vinegar produce carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what causes the vinegar to vaporize and form bubbles in the drain.
Let hot water run for a minute to warm up the pipes. Drop in 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour in 1 cup of vinegar, cover the drain with a plug and let sit for 10 minutes – you will hear fizzing. Rinse with more hot water.
Baking soda and vinegar may unclog your drain better than Drano ever could. Start by getting rid of the standing water in your drain. If it will go down slowly, just wait until it's gone. If it isn't moving, use a cup or a spoon to get it out of there.
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.
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.
Clean the P-Trap
If a kitchen or bathroom sink drain still smells after removing trapped hair and using the baking soda and vinegar, there may be something caught in the p-trap that's causing the odor.
Pour 0.5 cups (120 ml) of white vinegar down the drain.
Measure out 0.5 cups (8.0 US tbsp) of vinegar. Pour it into the drain slowly over the baking soda. This will cause a reaction between the two ingredients that should unclog your drain.
“I use the time-honored baking soda and vinegar trick. Dump a good handful of baking soda into the drain, let sit (don't run any water) for 15 minutes, then pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar down. Watch the bubbles, hear the pops and fizz, and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Then, boiling water and voila!
In addition to the pipes, leaving Drano in the drain for too long can damage the plumbing fixtures. This includes the sink, shower, bathtub, and other plumbing fixtures connected to the drain. These fixtures can become corroded and discolored and can start to show signs of wear and tear.
Instructions to Clean a Stinky Drain. Getting rid of the stinky odor is often a process of elimination. Start by flushing the drain with distilled white vinegar and baking soda and see if that removes the odor. If not, progress to the next steps until all of the odor is gone.
Harsh chemical drain unclogging solutions can actually be abrasive enough to make your pipes leak after the clog is dissolved. Instead considering pouring a half bottle of white vinegar down your drain every three months to keep clogs from forming.
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.
Bleach dissolves hair and it takes a bit of time. If it doesn't get rid of the stoppage completely then try another application of a cup of bleach. This may not always work. There are many other things that can clog a drain line…
Mix 1/2 cup table salt and 1/2 cup baking soda together, and pour down drain. Let sit for about 30 minutes (or overnight if it's a tough clog). Follow with a pot of boiling water.
It is Extremely Corrosive For Your Drains
When your pipes are clogged, Drano will sit on top of the clog, continually reacting and generating heat until the clog dissolves. This can put a great deal of stress on your drains as the heat can cause PVC pipes to soften and even break or collapse.
Sprinkle about one cup of baking soda down the clogged drain and wait for 10 minutes. Pour one cup of hydrogen peroxide down the drain and wait for the foaming to stop. Avoid using the drain for a few hours, if possible. Pour hot water down the drain to flush the baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and debris away.
Vinegar. Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain. It acts as a natural cleaning solution and can remove blockages and harmful bacteria that cause foul odors.
What if The Baking Soda & Vinegar Hack Doesn't Work? If your drain doesn't unclog right away, repeat the baking soda & vinegar process another time or two. If you have a stubborn clog, sometimes the baking soda & vinegar trick just doesn't work. You may have to use a sink plunger to help push through the blockage.
If the baking soda and vinegar method doesn't unclog the drain, use the salt and baking soda method next. This works best if you do it right before bedtime since the drain won't be used until morning.
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.