We all have had clogged drains and like many I go to my faithful baking soda and vinegar. Which I did 2 times. I must tell you that usually this always works, even if you notice a drain that is slow to drain. This time no such luck. I used 2 boxes of baking soda and a full jar of vinegar result; nothing.
I called my daughter 2000 miles away and she was trying to help me. We both do the same things and always swap tips; usually its her asking me. This time I needed her. She ask if I had done the usual (good girl) than said use dish soap and boiling water. I put 1/2 of the dish soap in each side and boiled 2 full pots of water. The water slowly went down to where I could clean the residue up which was left in the sink. It is full of bacteria and germs. I knew I didn't want to breath or have near me.
Afterward I ran water to clean out the sink, and once again it started backing up! My daughter had sent me a link. I went to look if there was anything I could do without having to call my landlord.
I had already done everything I always do, plus broke my plunger on top of it. There in front of me I saw something I had never heard of; use the left over juice from any pickled products you may have. In my case I had dill pickle juice, jalapeno juice, and a jar which only had a few long pickles in it (which I enjoyed).
So I dumped all of these together and brought to a boil. Smelling this brought back many memories from my childhood which was filled with long summers of putting up pickles, every kind of pickles in fact it was years before I ate pickles after leaving home. These memories now were happy ones, funny how that works.
I was glad I learned so many things growing up in the country. What I had read said "be very careful do not let the mixture touch your skin or breath too deeply". I'm not sure why but I thought I should share it.
I poured the hot, boiling pickling juices into each sink, and went off to bed. Next morning the clog was gone. The pickling juices had taken away the last of a very tough built up in the pipes. Thank goodness I am thrifty, and had saved all of those jars of juice; not only for eating now I found another use.
I did have a hairline crack which I wouldn't have even known about if my landlord didn't believe what I had done worked. John (plumber) came out and found the crack, but told my landlord I did the right thing. Draino or other chemicals get into the water system, and are bad for the pipes if used too often or incorrectly. John said in his own house, he does 1/3 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar every other week as maintenance, to help with no build up or odors of any kind. How nice to see others being ECO friendly.
Things worked out as they were suppose to. I didn't have to pay, a leak which could have lead to mold was found and I got a little bit of joy by my using the things I already had without chemicals. I found that little bit of joy a much needed help while cleaning up the mess afterwards. Using of course baking soda, vinegar, and lemon.
I am now out of all my saved up juices. I'm wondering of I can freeze them when I have more than I need for emergencies, hum?
No waste not the pickles (jalapenos) juices or the glass which I always recycle!
Source: My grandmother and my daughter; I do not know which article was sent, but it was from a book when plumbing was first being used.
By Luana M. from San Diego, CA
Check out these tips.
Coffee grains are great for compost, but they're also great for clearing drains. So don't throw them away, but flush them down your sink. It's really worked for me. I haven't had a problem with blocked pipes since a friend recommended this tip.
I was helping my friend clean a bathroom that had a clogged basin drain. After the two of us polished off half a two-liter bottle of diet pop, I filled it with water, matched the opening of the bottle to the drain opening and mashed the bottle firmly.
To keep your drains clear and your septic system working a little better, pour the very finest white or gray wood ashes from your fireplace or heater down the kitchen drain, the bathtub and sink drains, and even rinse some down the toilet from time to time.
I dump my used coffee grounds in the sink drain and follow with water. It's almost like sand blasting the pipes. I have never had drains plugged up because of it.
I live in the country, and have a septic system, and a "gray water" system, into which our kitchen sink drains. We have to be very careful about not clogging it with food or other particles. One day, I decided to try a bit of Rid-X in the sink as I was used to putting it into the septic system...
Cooking grease and the residue from shampoos and conditioners can clog your drains. Many people have success breaking up the clog with Dawn.
A garbage disposal will usually breathing sup enough to not clog your sink but it can happen from time to time. This is a page about unclogging a sink with a garbage disposal.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My kitchen sink is clogged on the garbage disposal side. I have tried baking soda, vinegar, hot water, and a plunger, but it's still clogged. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
By Alice J
Try this. In large roaster type boiler, bring water to boiling and pour down drain. Add about a cup of ammonia, staying back away from the fumes. While that is working boil another large pot of water and pour down the drain. If the first water does not drain through after it sets for awhile you will need to remove most of the water and use a plunger. If that doesn't work, call the plumber.
Pour Dawn dish detergent in the drain. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then pour a kettle full of boiling hot water down the drain. It will probably release the clog immediately. Use the plunger to get the drain clean. This has worked well for me. I saw this tip on Thriftyfun and it works.
Go on the other side of the wall and unscrew the drain cap. It might be one that has a protruding square or one that is flush and has a slot. Either way, open it up, then use a snake in it.
I hate to say this but I have used a tape measure before with great results. You can also use the garden hose with a straight jet of water. Is it the drain or the disposal ? You could remove the pipe that leads into the disposal from the drain.
Check to see if it is clear. What ever you do, do not use that liquid drain opener. That stuff cost us seven thousand dollars when it ate sixty foot of drain pipe away. Not worth it.
Is Dawn dish detergent safe for kitchen drains?
By Doris
Of course it is. People all over North America are using Dawn for just about everything.
How can I save money on a sink water clot?
By Julia from NJ
I'd suggest, if you are at all good with tools; renting a "snake" from a do it yourself place, like Lowes or Hope Depot. It costs a fraction of a plumbers visit!
But, even before that, put a bucket under the goose-neck pipe under your sink, and take the pipes apart of the drain, most times, the clog is right in the curve at the bottom!
Do a quick YouTube search for how toos on both ideas!
I would use a plunger on the sink. I always use it in our bathtub. When you plunge it, push it and pull it way up, and the force will dislodge any toy or solid thing in the drain.
Also you can make a wire out of a paperclip, or a hanger and "snake" it out.
Also baking soda poured into the sink a little and then vinegar and hot water work sometimes. Here is a video showing how to use the baking soda and white vinegar, and hot water.
www.youtube.com/
Taking the u shaped part of the pipe out and see if it is clogged. This is where most things that are solid get lost, like earrings.
Hopefully that would help. You can always get draino and pour it in there.
Blessings, Robyn
I would like to know how to fix a clogged kitchen sink? I've poured a large amount of baking soda, vinegar, hot water, liquid dish soap, and salt. I don't know whether I've made the right mixture, since I didn't find a precise measure for the mixture. Is there anyway I can fix it without having to use a dangerous chemical thing nor calling a plumber? Many thanks and warm regards.
By A Life from INA (Indonesia)
Try a big soup kettle of boiling water be careful. This will loosen most crap down the drain. Make sure to tighten up the pipe connectors when done. All activity will loosen them.
Moving into a new house,one of the shower drains took forever to go down. While at the dollar store I saw a bottle of drain cleaner and thought just how good could it be for a dollar,but I'll try anything once. Did what the directions said, left it for a day, and boy was I surprised. The water went down just as nice as you please. Now I will stock up on this for any future use. You never know unless you try, and for a dollar what can you lose.
So my kitchen sink is acting up. We started to plunge and the water started to turn black. I'm totally freaking out!
By Mimi
The black color is grease. Your pipes are clogged with grease or... You may have a grease trap at the end of your plumbing drainage system that ends to be emptied.
Wear a pair of latex gloves to save a lot of scrubbing of your hands. Hope this helps.
What should I do if my kitchen pipes are chocked with grease and oil products? Is there any product which can keep my kitchen pipes grease and oil free so that it does not chocked?
By smith21
There is a product called Glug that my plumber (who is a good friend) told me to buy. It works great.
I also have been told pour some Dawn down the drain and follow with a lot of hot water.
How do you unplug a plugged up sink?
By Gerry from Waterford, CT
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I have black, greasy, rusty particles coming up from the kitchen drain pipe. The sink is clogged and I cannot get it unclogged. What is the problem?
Every spring I used to have problems with my kitchen drain going slower and slower. Solution, put a cup of salt down the drains about once a week.
