Natural Drain Cleaner for a Clean, Green Home

natural drain cleaner made with totally edible items!

A natural drain cleaner can beat the clogs without using harsh, dangerous chemicals! Good for you, good for the planet too!

Did you know that the best way to keep toxins our of our body is to keep them out of the home? Of course, it helps to eat organically and healthfully, but there are literally dozens of chemicals in our homes that make their way into our cells over time. Small doses of these chemicals bioaccumulate in our bodies and are linked to some pretty bad health concerns: cancer, autism, hormonal issues and more. We are still learning about how these chemicals all work together, but until we know for sure, let’s err on the side of caution and clean our home naturally!

Want to read more of the DIY tips in our Homemade Living series? Click here!

There are so many ways to keep your home clean and green, including using homemade cleaning products and making your own body care products. Here we have a classic recipe for a natural drain cleaner. Natural drain cleaner is very simple, very clean and very green! In fact, you probably have these ingredients in your kitchen right now!

Skipping chemical drain cleaners and all that plastic packaging is a good choice for our body, our planet and for our homes!

How to Make Natural Drain Cleaner:

2 cups baking soda
4 cups boiling water
1 cup vinegar
1-2 fresh lemons (as needed)

Directions for Homemade Drain Cleaner:

Drain all water from the sink or tub (if it’s standing, try to plunge it to make it go down). Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Make sure that most of the baking soda falls into the drain.
Next, pour about 2 Cups of boiling water down the drain. The baking soda mixed with boiling water dissolves the sludge and gunk in the pipe, even if you don’t see it happening. Wait a few minutes.
Pour the remaining 1 cup baking soda down the drain then add 1 cup of white vinegar and plug the drain immediately. If you’re unclogging a double sink, plug both drains. You’ll hear sizzling coming up from the drain and see bubbles foaming up.
When the bubbles have died down, add the remaining boiling water down the drain. If it smells a little funky, add some fresh lemon juice along with the water to disinfect the drain.
Repeat this process if necessary. This can be used as a monthly treatment helps prevent future clogs too; simply pour a cup of baking soda down the drains followed by boiling water.

Get one of these for your next clog!

If the Drain Remains Clogged:

If the the drain remains clogged after using the homemade cleaner, you will need to use a small plunger for sinks (keep a separate small plunger for the sink and a regular full size one for the toilet. Because, eeew). The baking soda and vinegar loosens the clogging material, freeing the gunk that should start moving around with the plunger’s pressure. (Buy a sink plunger here for the next time your sink is clogged!).

Fill the sink with enough water to seal the plunger around the bottom against the sink.
Push down fully and pull up quickly. Repeat if necessary.

{Click here for a tutorial on using a sink plunger, and a video about how this awesome trick works!}

Why Does Natural Drain Cleaner Work?

Baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid), react to form carbon dioxide and sodium acetate (just like that elementary school volcano project; it also works for vegan baking recipes!). But, for our drains it creates a scrubbing action that moves gunk down the drain. drains, it works to create scrubby bubbles on the drain’s insides. Instead of rising up and out, as with the volcano, it is sent down into the drain dissolving the gunk. These natural, non-toxic ingredients get flushed further down ensuring a clog-free drain.

Want to learn more about creating natural cleaning products? Check out our archives full of helpful information:

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Tags: homemade drain cleaner, homemade living, natural cleaning, natural drain cleaner

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