Do you have a smelly clog you need to remove? TikToker Weekly Home Check (@weeklyhomecheck) posted a video about a simple way you can clear such clogs using materials right in your kitchen.
The scoop
Some baking soda and vinegar can quickly clear a drain in less than two minutes.
@weeklyhomecheck Replying to @Asgnkugvdukng When used for cleaning, baking soda and vinegar should not be combined, but they are effective when trapped in a drain. Shout out to @BalkanSewerAndWaterMain for the demonstrstion. #homeowner #homemaintenance #hometips #plumbing #drains ♬ original sound - 🏠 Weekly Home Check
As the subtitle states, "When used for cleaning, baking soda and vinegar should not be combined, but they are effective when trapped in a drain."
The quick demonstration from BalkanSewerAndWaterMain (@BalkanSewerAndWaterMain) starts off by placing a clog in a clear pipe. Next, they fill the pipe with some baking soda. They begin clearing the problem by pouring some vinegar in and covering the drain with a towel as the reaction creates a foaming effect.
Each time they add a bit of vinegar it pushes the clog down into the pipe. They repeat this process (about three times) using the whole bottle of vinegar until the clog is gone.
How it's helping
Hair or soap scum in the shower or food particles in the kitchen sink can build up over time. When clogs happen, it can create pooling water that may attract vermin, as Breda Pest Management explained. To fix the issue, many people have often reached for over-the-counter drain cleaning chemicals that can do more harm than good.
Many plumbing experts state that chemical drain cleaners have corrosive properties that can damage pipes and eventually seep into your soil and waterways. By using natural methods like those in the video, you can remove the clog while keeping your pipes, septic tank, and community clean.
This demonstration is one of many ways you can get creative by cleaning with natural products. From baking soda to lemon juice to borax, your home has items that can clean, sanitize, and deodorize. Combine orange peels, lemon, and vinegar to make a natural cleaning spray. Clean those dirty white shoes by creating a paste from baking soda, toothpaste, and dish soap.
Taking advantage of products you already have can reduce the amount of clutter and plastic bottles in your home and in the environment. Plastic bottles and packaging pack landfills and form litter in places from hiking trails to marine habitats.
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This material can take as long as 500 years to eventually break down, per WWF Australia, and can leak chemicals into your local soil and waterways and release toxic heat-trapping gases into the environment.
What everyone's saying
Many people in the comments have tried this method before but didn't realize they needed to cover the top to help create the full effect.
One person said, "About 15 years ago [we] hired a plumber for a clog. He told us to do this once a month NEVER had a problem again and it won't hurt pipes."
Another person remarked, "How I've been unclogging mine for years."
Someone else correctly mentioned, "Or you can use a plunger."
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