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March 11, 2008
Vinegar / baking soda vs. Drano?
Have been using Drano recently on a clogged tub, with less-than-great effect. Have read about using vinegar and baking soda, but is there a minimum amount of time I should let pass since I last used Drano, before using the au naturel method?
Comments
I don't know about the vinegar and baking soda, but if the Drano didn't work, you might want to consider snaking it out.
Posted by: rh at March 11, 2008 10:53 AM
Agree with the above. It is unlikely that either will work. You have hair caught in the drain, best is to snake it out. You can do this yourself. Snakes are pretty cheap. Or call a drain cleaner, you can do a search on the site, there are posts about them. Drano, besides being completly toxic, always seems like a bandaid. It works for a bit then, the drain is slow again.
After, make sure you have a good screen on your tub to catch hair.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 11:06 AM
Once you have your drain cleaned out, use Arm & Hammer Washing Soda once a month. The instructions for the solution (with water) are on the side of the box. My plumber suggested that I do this after he cleared a clogged drain for me, and it works. You can find the product in the laundry detergent section of any supermarket.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 11:19 AM
Go to home depot,find the aile were they keep those products. Look for a white round bottle with red letters, I can't remmember the name.It's awesome.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 11:25 AM
All of that stuff will eat through your pipes so quick. Trust me I know. We used Draino on a clogged sink maybe three or four times in a week.
Next thing I know pipes are leaking in the basement with holes burned right through.
Best to get a snake and be very cautious.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 11:57 AM
I am going to order Bio-CLean for my sinks, toilets and tubs...
http://www.masterplumber.net/bio-clean.htm
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 12:14 PM
Not sure about the amount of time to let pass - but I have been told that if you have old plumbing DRANO is a big no no - as 11:57 says it eats away pipes.
Posted by: katiem633 at March 11, 2008 12:40 PM
Hey all --
OP here. Thanks for the comments. I will definitely check out the Bio-Clean. I've used the wire hanger approach to get what I can, and will also remove the overflow cover and get at it from there, but I'm a little hesitant to use a snake. (Isn't that for pros only?) If the Bio Clean fails, then I'll call in the plumber...just that getting repairs done is such a pain, dealing with the LL and super.
Thanks again. Peace.
Posted by: bhguy at March 11, 2008 1:04 PM
I've used those enzyme cleaners before and they did nothing. Nice concept but not effective. I also tried the Biokleen detergeant and didn't like it at all.
I started using baking soda and vinegar this year to clean out pipes and wash out the kitchen sink and it works great. We also snake our sewer main, too. You do need to do both. Baking soda and vinegar will not eat pipes, don't know why someone said that. We eat this stuff as food, it's not going to eat away at metal or plastic pipes.
I use vinegar and water to clean wood floors, I've done that for years. I use the baking soda & vinegar to clean the shower and let it run down the drain to clean the pipes there too.
"Green" doesn't need to be marketed and packaged as such to be good for the environment. Using common household items you have on the shelf is more green than buying additional cleaning products.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 1:53 PM
The pros just want you to think 'snaking' (it even sounds scary!!!) is beyond your capacity. It's actually ridiculously simple. I think the tool cost me about $10. Just poke the end down the drain and crank it all the way out and then all the way back in, and voilà, gross stuff will be pulled out. You can attach it to your power drill for particularly stubborn clogs.
Posted by: gowanusaurus at March 11, 2008 2:25 PM
Oh I meant to say I tried the enzyme drain clearers, not cleaners, in my post at 1:53. But they didn't work.
The only enzyme CLEANER that's worked for me is the original one, Oxyclean which I use on whites and stains. I tried Bioclean detergeant for entire loads and it doesn't clean well enough at all. Use it on sheets if you change your sheets every few days diligently. Or on delicate things. But on socks and underwear and towels, no way, it's not enough.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 2:27 PM
I had a science book once that had alternatives to cleaning products. From that I took and have been using salt with boiling water (you'd need like 2 cups of salt, and about 6 quarts of water), works for me.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 4:35 PM
I'd like to know more about this baking soda/vinegar stuff. On the surface, it makes no sense. From a ph pov, BS is a base, and vinegar is an acid. They cancel each other out. Or is the foaming supposed to clean drains? I don't get it.
Posted by: denton at March 11, 2008 5:02 PM
I've had great luck with good old fashioned lye.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 5:27 PM
baking soda/vinegar is good for clearing out stuff like soap scum in the bathroom drains and oily build-up in the kitchen, but it will not dissolve hair or anything miraculous like that. It's good to pour a cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar down your drains every few weeks to keep them clear and deodorize them.
Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 7:56 PM
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