Billie Karel Thursday, March 05, 2009

Environment

Toxic Free NC Tip of the Week: Drain Cleaner

Got gunk?
We all do. And if you believe the commercials on TV, you need a different cleaner for every type of gunk, each one loaded with harsh chemical detergents, fragrance chemicals, and even pesticides (all that anti-bacterial stuff has the pesticide triclosan in it!). Spring cleaning should not cause cancer, asthma, headaches, rashes, or anything but clean-ness (and maybe some sore muscles if you’re out of shape).

So, in this week’s tip, clean your drain without highly toxic (and expensive!) drain cleaners. (What’s in that stuff anyway?)

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the problem drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water.
If that doesn’t do it, repeat, but follow the baking soda with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar and cover the drain for several minutes, allowing the fizzing of the chemical reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar to break up the gunk. Those are carbon dioxide bubbles! Then, flush that with a teapot full of boiling water.

Good luck, and happy cleaning.

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Read More: Environment, Other posts by Billie Karel.

Filed Under: cleaning, non-toxic

  • RaleighRob03/05 04:38 PM

    I actually saw my mom once shake a can of cola, turn it upside down towards the drain and open it, shooting the drain clean.  Might be a good choice if you don’t have baking soda on hand!

  • Micah03/05 08:14 PM

    I am surprised how many people abandon the common plunger when dealing with a slow or clogged drain.  The problem is that, especially with vanities in bathrooms, some plunge away while leaving the overflow hole(s) open.  This nearly completely negates the plunging.  If you stop up the overflow holes with a soaking wet rag (hold it tight, or have someone help you) you can do some serious plunging!  Double kitchen sinks are also a problem; You must completely seal off the other sink to plunge it open again. Just putting the stopper in it won’t work…You have to hold it down while you plunge.  Also, if your plunger has a funnel-like skirt around the working end, fold it up inside the plunger to use it on sinks and tubs.  Pull it back out for the toilet. After you plunge (and sometimes during plunging), fill the sink nearly to the top with hot water.  The pressure (weight) of the water pushing down on the clog will help send it down the pipe when you dislodge it with your plunger. Drain cleaners will rarely be needed if you plunge properly.  If you do plunge the hell out of a drain and it still won’t work, you might have to get a commercial drain opener.  They are just lye, which can be very dangerous to handle.  People have been using it for years though, and lye is also used to cure olives, and chinese noodles, and even pretzels!

  • MMI03/18 03:06 AM

    Actually, Micah, you might want to get a SEPARATE plunger for the sink rather than use the same one used on the toilet.


    a) Sink models have shorter handles for easier use in that situation, and
    b) Otherwise, that’s friggin’ disgusting, man.

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