Many attest drain cleaning can be as easy as looking inside your kitchen – notably with baking soda and vinegar. This drain cleaning method has become popular for its simple, environmentally-friendly ingredients and easy accessibility.
However, how effective is this combination for cleaning your drain?
Find out down below!
How Do They Clean Drains?
The process involves adding a cup of baking soda first and then a cup of distilled white vinegar down the drain. Then you’re supposed to pour hot water into your drain carefully. The combination is said to fight against grease and grime in clogs, which would be perfect for dissolving grease clogs.
Since baking soda is an alkaline substance and vinegar is a mild acetic acid, the combination naturally neutralizes one another. You can hear the mixture in action from the fizzing that’s gradually eating away what’s clogging your drain. Once the fizzing fades, you pour another two cups of hot water.
It should then allow your drain to flow – but if it doesn’t, you’re expected to repeat the earlier steps until it does. If your drain is flowing, you run your hot tap water to flush out all the debris down the drain. At that, your drain cleaning is done.
What’s the Effect on Drains?
Most people forget natural ingredients are still chemicals. Like chemicals, they can have reactions to one another and effects.
Depending on the material of your drain, it can either have good, adverse or no results at all from using baking soda and vinegar. For some, it can also easily destroy protective coatings on your pipes and make it more difficult for the clog to be removed naturally. If done excessively, you can be left with permanent plumbing fixture damage. Ironically, the baking soda becomes a clog essentially!
That’s the worst scenario. Though the mixture having no effect is just as bad. The method is hotly debated for how effective it is in destroying grease. Yet, some have found it’s worked still. Generally, those who have found success with this DIY have PVC pipes or material unaffected by it.
Is it Still Good to Use?
There is a reason why this DIY is contested. It works for some, and other times it hasn’t for some folks. In a way, you’re taking a chance. If you want to guarantee the cleanliness of your drains, it’s best to opt-out of it and not take the risk. You can safely clean your drain and still be environmentally friendly by using chemical-free drain cleaners instead. And naturally, reaching out to a drain cleaning company would be in your best interest since they have the knowledge and expertise on the matter. A call to your local plumber will do wonders for your drain and your wallet in the long run.
With 25 years of experience, SOS Drain Cleaning knows how to offer amazing plumbing services in Calgary. Whether you are looking for drain cleaning, sewer backup repair, hydro jetting or other general plumbing assistance, this team of professionals is here to help. Contact SOS Drain Cleaning today at 403-295-8989 for service in Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, Okotoks, Chestermere and more!
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