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old fashioned drain maintenance

Jan 30th, 2010 by

Want to know how to take care of your kitchen drains the un-nuclear way?

It’s easy, as long as your drain isn’t already backed up. If you do this every month or so, your drains will be happier, and you won’t have to use poison.

Grease gets stuck on the sides of sink pipes in the most fastidious of kitchens. The Damsel doesn’t want to think about what that would look like, with other stuff stuck to that, etc. No wonder drains don’t always smell like a daisy.

This method uses stuff you’ve got hanging around–nothing toxic.

Pour a cup (don’t fuss…doesn’t have to be exact) of baking soda down your drain.

Follow with a cup of vinegar. Yes! This is the same thing you make volcanos out of at the science fair. It will bubble in a satisfying way.

Follow with a gallon or two of boiling water. (Poured for this picture by Sprog #1. Yes, he’s quite tall) This melts grease . . . and any time you pour boiling water down your sink, you’re doing it the same favor. Pasta water, teapot water, etc.

P.S. Did you know you can pour boiling water on weeds, especially those growing in the cracks of cement, for a completely chemical free form of weed death?

Posted in cleaning

  • http://greenandchewy.blogspot.com Carole & Chewy

    I love baking soda -drains, laundry, litter box – what can’t it do?

  • http://cookingwithrockymento.blogspot.com Sande Nascimento

    ooohhh…like it!

  • http://beinglds.blogspot.com Jocelyn

    Thanks for this and the weed tip too!

  • http://lynnewsnyder.blogspot.com/ Lynne’s Somewhat Invented Life

    I should do this on all the drains in the house. If only there were an easier way to get boiling water to the bathrooms.

  • Chloe Rowles

    Thanks for this great tip. Can you do this in the drain that has the garbage disposal attached? That would be nice, too.

    I grow herbs and when I get ants in the garden, I can’t use the poisons, so I pour boiling water on the ants/hills. It only kills the ones it hits, but after 2 or 3 times, the ants move out of the garden.

  • damsel

    Chloe: absolutely, you can use this on the disposal side of the sink. Great tip about the ants!

  • http://sleepycathollow.wordpress.com/ Sleepy Cat Hollow

    I use soda/vinegar too…I’m one of those that likes the fizzing bubbles it makes! :)

  • http://www.thegregbeefamily.blogspot.com Cynthia

    Awesome tip! I have done the boiling water on weeds many a time. It’s especially good for leaves with broad surfaces that are prickly like Thistles- hate those things. It feels so good to pour on that water.

    I haven’t done the soda/vinegar thing, but I will!

  • http://lecriveur.blogspot.com Chris

    “It will bubble in a satisfying way.” Smile.

    Good info. Reminds of a trick I learned about bathtub drains and drum traps this week. (evil evil things)

  • http://gaining-miette.blogspot.com Miette

    Very neat! I had no idea baking soda and vinegar could do that. Did you know it also takes the sting out of a bee-sting?

  • sue heugly

    great idea.

  • http://thechocolatechipwaffle.blogspot.com/ Terresa Wellborn

    “Weed death” — I like the sound of that. We currently have way too many front yard weeds that need this exact treatment. I need to try this pronto!