Home Repair - Home Repair and Improvement Projects

Cleaning your kitchen sink is a must every day. It keeps away any bad bacteria that could be harmful to you or your family. Foodborne bacteria comes in an variety of forms that can make you sick. Even if you stay on top of this, sometimes you will still get a funky smell coming from your drain. That is when you know it’s time to clean your kitchen sink drain. As most of us would have been taught growing up, baking soda can help get rid of any pesky smells or grime. We usually would use boiling water, baking soda, and vinegar to flush away the bad stuff. However, this technique is all well and good for milder cases. If you have left your drain for a longer time, this way of cleaning may not work the best for you. We have got a great process that will leave your drain smelling fresh. Disadvantages of Using Baking Soda Contrary to popular belief, the baking soda cleaning method isn’t the best way to clean your sink drain. Many people use this method as they can easily make the mixture with items already in their kitchen cupboards. However, don’t be fooled. It may be easy to put together, but it won’t work great on tougher grime. When it comes to cleaning your household drain, the chemical reaction that occurs during this method will not be enough to thoroughly clean it. This method works better for cleaning airtight containers. As your drain is not sealed tight, you won’t experience the same result. If your friend swears by this method, it doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you and your sink. There are many other ways that you can safely clean your household drain. Today, we're going to share some of our absolute favorite methods for homemade drain cleaner without baking soda. Don't worry, we won't be telling you that you need a certain cleaning product to get the best results either. You will learn the top ways to clean your drain without baking soda. These methods still include DIY mixtures made from products you can find in your cupboards. Tools That Will Help We thought that we would share with you some effective tools that you can use to help clean your household drain. These tools can help shift stubborn grime and even unclog your drain completely. Plunger This is an absolute staple in any household. A plunger is one of the best ways to unclog your drain. It is a basic tool that so many people already have and are aware of. However, just because it’s already a popular tool to own, doesn’t mean that it’s not worth a mention. It is smart to have two plungers, one for the toilet and one for sinks. This tool works! All you have to do is place the rubber of the plunger around your drain hole. Next, begin to apply pressure down then up with the handle of your plunger. This motion will create pressure within your drain pipe. This pressure will help to move any blockages and result in a free-flowing pipe that is clog-free. Plumbing Snake Next up, we have a plumbing snake. This is a tool that you may not already have at home. However, it is a fantastic way to break down any blockages in your drain. They are reasonably priced tools or you can borrow a neighbor's. The plumbing snake consists of a long cord that is super flexible. Being able to move in all sorts of directions means that it can follow your drain pipe wherever it is placed. Once you have threaded the cord down into the drainpipe and you can no longer feel any suspicious lumps, you have likely unclogged your drain. Coat Hanger If you don’t want to spend money on a plumbing snake, a lot of people use a coat hanger in the same manner. It will have to be a wired coat hanger that you can easily reshape to go down your drain. Once the coat hanger is down your drain, move it around until you can feel an empty pipe. Take your time as this requires patience. The payoff is a clean drain with zero blockages! 4 Ways to Make Homemade Drain Cleaner Without Baking Soda It is now time for us to share with you our top ways to make your drain cleaner without the need of adding baking soda. We have a few techniques to show you so we recommend trying out the one with the ingredients that you already have at home. This will mean that you don’t need to spend any extra money and can just dive straight into the cleaning! 1. Boiling Water (Caution) Okay, we’re kicking off with a very basic technique. Plain and simple, boiling water. This method is as “homemade” and simple as it gets. Many plumbers advise against using boiling water if you have pvc pipes. Some say it is unlikely to cause pipe damage but it could affect adhesives on pipe connections. *So the caveat is to use hot water but not boiling water on pvc pipes to be on the safe side. Boil a kettle or heat water on your stove until boiling. Then pour the boiling water down your sink drain to help dissolve any grime that may be clogging your drain. Although this is a very simple method, it does work for many people. Use caution for your personal safety and ensure your type of pipes and pipe adhesive won't be damaged by boiling water. 2. Dish Soap and Boiling Water If you feel like you need a little something extra with your hot water, you should add some dish soap. This is particularly good if you have started to notice a musty smell around your drain. Heat some water until boiling and add a generous amount of dish soap. Mix until you notice suds starting to form. Your homemade drain cleaner is now ready to use. Pour it down your drain for another simple, yet effective clean. This is a great technique to do regularly since you will have both of these items already in your home. It can also help prevent clogs from happening in the first place. 3. Salt and Boiling Water This is another simple way of cleaning your drain with a homemade cleaner. For this technique, you’re not going to mix the salt and boiling water together. Instead, you will pour each ingredient into your drain one by one. If you suspect that your drain is blocked, boil some water and pour it down your drain pipe. Next, it is time to add the salt. Measure out half a cup of salt and tip it into your household drain. Wait a few minutes for the salt to break down any grease or grime, and then pour in more boiling water. This will dislodge the blockages and give you a completely unclogged drain. 4. Hot Water, Vinegar, Salt, and Borax This homemade drain cleaner has slightly more ingredients. Although it has more ingredients, it is still super simple to put together and utilize. When you compare this method with other cleaners, you can see that there is one stand-out ingredient. Borax. Borax is also known as sodium tetraborate. You may already have this in your home as it is a popular cleaning product. It is used to get rid of any stubborn mildew or grime. Measure out the same quantity of Borax and salt and keep them separated from each other. Next, measure out vinegar at double the amount of Borax and salt. Add the salt, Borax, and vinegar down the household drain one by one. Add some boiling water and let the mixture get to work in your drain. Leave it to sit for a few minutes maximum. Then flush through the mixture with more boiling water to unclog your drain. We hope that you find success in unclogging your drain with one of these proven methods. Each will work well to dislodge any grime and clear your drain from any blockages.