Baking soda powder will turn into a cement like mass and completely clog everything it settles in. I had a family member dump about three cups down the kitchen sink this summer and I ended up having to replace the trap, tailpiece and dishwasher drain inflow.
In some cases, baking soda and vinegar can even cause damage to your pipes. Instead it's best to use other methods such as a plunger or drain snake, or removing your trap to empty out the probable blockage. You can also consider using a commercial drain cleaner that is specifically designed for tough clogs.
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.
Some of the leftover baking soda is usually left in the pipe, which can actually make an existing clog worse if the reaction turns it into a sludge that doesn't rinse away easily.
It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain. Always flush this mixture down with boiling water—no matter how long you leave it sitting in the drain.
Why? Baking soda is a base while vinegar is an acid, their chemical reaction produces water with a tiny amount of salt in it, not a fat destroying drain cleaner. Plus vinegar and baking soda are not surfactants, so they do not help water carry oil and grease away the same way that detergents can.
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.
Flush With More Hot Water
If the drain is now flowing, run hot tap water to flush all debris down the drain. If it is not draining, repeat the previous steps. If you haven't cleaned your drain recently, it may be necessary to repeat the baking soda flush at least twice.
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.
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.
Per the food forum Hometalk, you can dump your chunky baking soda into another container and use a mallet or meat tenderizer to break the clumps apart or break-out your blender and pulversize the clumps until they are once again a fine powder.
Use a Natural Cleaner
Begin by pouring up to a whole box of baking soda down the drain, depending on the severity of the slime. Then pour in the vinegar, up to half a bottle. You should hear or see the fizzing. Let it react for about five minutes, then slowly pour the boiling water down the drain.
Salt, Borax, and Vinegar
Start with 1/4 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of Borax, and then a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Add a pot of boiling water and let it sit for at least an hour or until it clears. Finally, rinse with hot tap water to clear all ingredients down the drain.
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.
“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!
Pour a 1/2 cup each of salt and baking soda down the drain, and follow it with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. This combination will foam a little. Wait a minute and pour in 2 quarts of boiling water. Nobody likes clogged bathroom drains — but the good news is, they can be prevented with a few basic habits.
The most common chemicals used to unblock sinks are Drano, hydrochloric acid, or caustic soda. Chemical drain cleaners can be effective at removing even the toughest clogs. They come in different forms, such as powder, liquid, or gel, so be sure to buy one that best suits your situation.
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.
If your drain is clogged, clean it by pouring a pan of boiling water down the drain. Follow the water with 1 cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. You'll probably see some bubbles as the chemical reaction works its magic and opens your drain.
Allow the baking soda and vinegar to react completely, waiting as long as five minutes if necessary. Even when foaming is no longer coming up out of your drain, there may still be a chemical reaction taking place down out of sight. This reaction will loosen up any debris down there that is causing your clog.
The most likely cause of a sulfur smell or other bad smell coming from a drain is stuck food, and it's the easiest to fix. As food that gets clogged in a drain or disposal decomposes, it emits gasses that cause unpleasant odors.
If the P-trap isn't working properly, sewer gasses can make their way into the bathroom and cause your sink to stink. Your sink should also have a vent that gives backflowing gases somewhere to go. If the sewer smell in your sink is caused by a blocked air vent, you may need professional assistance.