The only thing that you're going to do with that is make the clog worse. The only thing you're going to do with a plunger when you don't know what you're doing is pack the clog in and make it worse. From a plumber to you, you are just giving people stupid advice.
They never tell you to cover the drain after you pour the vinegar into it. Most people just watch the baking soda and vinegar react like a science project and wonder why their sink is still clogged.
the clog can often take more pressure than the PVC threading.... but I mean... if you're happy blowing a pipe then yeah you should totally block it off. Roll the dice.
I mean I get that conclusion at first but how is a small amount of pressurized gas going to blow out the pipe? You would need a lot higher PSI than you could hold with your hand.
Contractor here. Just use a plunger and save your money. The vinegar and baking soda creates pressure that pushes the clog. This wont work on alot of clogged pipes due go air vents in drain (reduces water gurgle and allows better flow). Using your plunger does the same thing for no cost plus you wont have to hold your hand over the drain to seal the pressure or create a mess when the baking soda and vinegar combines. Technology as basic as the plunger makes the old methods obsolete
@@lym3204 Because you can continuously apply pressure of suction and pushing with a plunger in combination with hot water wheras the pressure of baking soda and vinegar is partially expelled before you cover it and the rest will leak thru other vent holes. A plunger is more effective - the amount of air/water you can move with continuous plunging outweighs what this mixture can produce in one chemical reaction. This would be good to deodorise the pipes afterward though. I wouldn't buy all that baking soda and vinegar to clean the pipe. Your choice, but I'd only buy it to deodorise after get myself a nice plunger and goto work on the sink hole.
I very much dislike people like you, pointing out the obvious to try to act positive. I see them everywhere I go, I wasn’t going to say anything. But this statement was completely irrelevant to the video truly from the bottom of my heart, get a life.
~30 years ago, a grocery store product for clearing stopped up drains was a can of compressed air. The rim on the can sealed on the drain as the can was pressed down to release the gas. My wife habitually washed her hair at that sink and it eventually stopped up the drain. When I employed the can of compressed air, there was a loud BANG from under the sink. It appeared that the air pressure from the can blew the P-trap off the drain pipe. The clog was still mostly inside the P-trap, and a watery mess of hair and food particles had been sprayed all over the whole area. But at least I could dig out the clog and reconnect the P-trap!
Problem with that. Vent pipe will take the pressure if it’s below the p-trap. Or if you use that on a kitchen sink you have to block off both drains when doing this. If it is just in the p-trap just take it apart and clean it out. They are made to come apart.
THATS the problem? Lmao no no no. Lemme tell you WHATS THE PROBLEM. the problem is alot of this old plumbing we got installed now, it can NOT take or hold pressure! Soooo, these new weekend plumbers who get their air pressure machines shooting air into pipes to unclog toilets and drains? Theyre blowing out wax rings and forcing air into plastic piping that's brittle and blowing out :/ THAT is a problem
Yes definitely good for small clogs, however some clogs are much too big to push through, you actually need to use high pressure water to pull the debris out of line . They sell this rubber inflation device at harbor freight or most hardware stores, it attaches to a normal hose and goes into clean out as far as you can push into clog, then turn on water and it expands and seals in pipe and then has a micro hole that shoots the water forward into the clog, it builds enough pressure, the seal will eventually break enough to allow debris to come back up the line where you can try to catch it. We were able to use it to break up 20 solid feet of grease, granted the cleanup was substantial on the back end as probably 100 lbs of grease came up, we saved anywhere from $800 to $1200 to have a plumber come out and sell a jetting, and then generally they will have to come back out for the jetting because a lot of companies send out a salesman just for a consultation/camera.
Only problem with that,, is if you have a roof vent, if the plug is farther down the line it will just fill the pipe until it's pouring out the vent on the roof. As soon as you release the hose pressure all that water is now in you kitchen floor. I used cable machines for 5 ish yrs to clean sink drains ect.
@@ragerain6656no. Vinegar in the name - it can be used with soda. Soda is alkaline, and any vinegar is acidic which basically cancel each other out with that reaction. The reaction was what was pushing the clog down (also vinegar doesn’t expire. Not sure about things like wine vinegars for cooking, but even if isn’t good for cooking - it can be good enough for the drain, unless it was exposed to air and evaporated too much. Check the acidity by placing a pinch of soda onto spoon/ dish and putting a little bit of vinegar you’re checking into. If there’s a fixing reaction, it is good to go.) The reaction will keep happening until it reaches neutral ph. Neutral ph is around 7. Anything over 7 will be alkaline, and anything below 7 will be acidic. Say the amount of soda you pour down the drain gets it to 200, and your acidic thing will keep working until you bring it to 7pH, and then it will start to become acidic if you pour more vinegar. Safety tip for when using anything alkaline like soda, bleach, washing powder, strong soaps, etc., if you ever clean without gloves, or they got damaged and chemicals went onto your skin, and after washing skin you feel feel like the skin is still soapy, and slippery - use acidic solution to stop the reaction. Our skin’s pH averaged about 5 (4.7 - 5.5) which is slightly acidic, so when strong alkaline solutions get onto our skin, it basically reacts, and when the pH becomes higher you will be getting the slippery/ unable to wash off soapy feeling on the skin. So, if you just have some natural lemon juice with your alkaline cleaning solutions to stop the process in an emergency to prevent further damage to the skin - it might be very beneficial. Alternatively, if you have an acidic burn, it would be best stopped by an alkaline solution (baking soda dissolved in water for example). I doubt people would be messing with strong chemical acids without a proper protection, but accidents happen and it is best to have the knowledge than googling it as you or someone near you needs it. Remember that chemical burns (strong acids for cleaning etc) can be burning through layers of skin as they sit on the surface of the skin, so the best way to wash off and stop the reaction would be to wash the chemical burn with a prepared in advance water + baking soda. It helps to check which chemical you’re working with in advance, so you don’t need to read the labels and google pH after, if an accident happened (and have your opposite pH solution nearby). ⚠️ However, you must always use adequate protective gear when working with any chemicals. Hope you don’t ever need to use this, but just in case 😅
For clogged toilets: simply pour vinegar and dish soap into the bowl, let it sit for an hour, and pour a bucket/large pan of hot water into it and it will flow right through. Sometimes you dont even need the hot water, just try flushing after the soak. Works like a charm. Cheers!
@kingokafor6215 that's fair if you don't want to wait, but for those who prefer not to plunge, it's splendid. Also, I'm a woman, and it most definitely works even with "women's products". To each his own though, so plunge away! Cheers!
I called the estate agency, who called the land lord, who tried to rod the drains himself, turned out we have clay pipes and it was a water company problem. They had to line the pipes
Theres not way you would cause pressure to build up and youd end up breaking a pipe. Besides that what are doing? I'm assuming you are just pouring it down the sink instead of using draino that's why you've never had a problem
@@kaitlynengelland2723I use to do home warranty repairs an no warranty company will work on your sink with draino in it because you still have to plunge it which causes the draino to splash on skin or eyes an from my experience draino only unclog a semi clogged drain...nothing beats a drain snake or auger an they can handle the pressure just fine because the clog is always weaker than the pipe
@@kaitlynengelland2723 I've used this many times before and with dealing with PVC drain pipes there isn't a strong enough pressure to cause the pipes to break unless they are incredibly old and brittle
I've been doing this for years 😊 pour baking soda in your drains, add vinegar, let sit for 10-15 minutes and rinse with hot water. Sometimes you might have to plunge it a few times after you do this but it really does work. Baking soda is also good for getting bad smells out your mops, mix it in your mop water and let sit for 15-30 minutes, raise mop out. Also good for getting smells out of just about anything washable. Also good for getting that coating off your tongue 👅 make baking soda water, hold in your mouth for 5-10 seconds while swishing it around, spit it out and brush your whole mouth, fresh breath and clean tongue 😛 just some helpful tips for anyone who didn't know this.
For those who need to know. An active clog requires the plug to build up gases that push the clog out. For regular maintenance against soap scum to prevent hair from becoming clogs… you simply add the baking soda then vinegar to create sodium acetate which dissolves soap scums and detergent additives remember to add sodium acetate either in this method or another to all your drains including the washing machine at least once a year. The new stuff is better than the old stuff but breaks easier without regular maintenance. So in short keep it clean before it becomes an issue. But if it is an issue then follow the proper steps to make it go more manageable/go away
In the bathroom you need to cover the drain and the overflow to build pressure. In the kitchen you may need to plug both drains if you have dual sinks.
When we were kids we would put the vinegar in a 2 liter soda bottle and then wrap up the baking soda in some tolit paper and stuff it in the top. Then put the cap back on, give a shake and played hot potato with friends or just piss off the neighbors.
DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM! My son and I did a Science Fair Project that involved baking soda and vinegar to show how chemical reactions make energy and can move things. It ended up causing the septic tank to reverse the solids to the top, clogged the house and cost a bunch of money to have septic drained
@@EaglesQuestions typically would push it to the nearest bend, and then you would be good to go but me personally, I would never use that I would just get a snake machine I already own three different sizes if it’s a grease clog consider yourself needing a snake machine for sure
I would just take the pipe apart and clean it out, then reconnect it. It’s been working for many years and that’s been great at fixing the problem. 🤷♀️
What most people assume happens is that the reaction is eating away at the clog. That is not at all what happens. The reaction is basically neutralizing itself. The key is covering the drain after you add the vinegar like in the video so that the pressure generated by the CO2 gas created by the reaction pushes the clog through the drain.
I was just about to comment that same thing 😂 i literally can not count how many jobs ive been on where had the homeowner just called me first OR ANY PLUMBER the bill would have been significantly cheaper but because people like to get on RU-vid and watch these stupid videos not understand how a house is plumbed and think stupid stuff like this will work TRY IT then wind up messing the house up worse then it already was 😅 take a 100$ job and turn it into a 500$ job realllllll quick
@@matthewlambert8789 I got blessed with COVID 2 years ago have not even been able to smell or taste between the thighs I don't get bothered by foul smell
It works! I had a plugged up drain and tried everything but nothing worked. Then I did this 3 times and the clog is GONE!! It’s the only way I’ll unclog a drain!
I had a old plumber tell me to do this but not the hold pressure part. I was literally having to pay to unclog my drains every year even though I was careful in making sure that hair and food items didn’t go down them. The coolest most honest plumber told me in a grocery store line to use baking soda and vinegar once a month for maintenance and to stop using liquid detergent for laundry. The next 20 years after he told me that I didn’t have any clogs. Just sold my house last year and passed all inspections.
@@victerrios6509 most drain stoppers can be removed, even if it is a royal pain in the @$$. However, if it truly cannot be removed if you have a small bowl you should be able to cover the whole drain and still create the necessary vacuum. OR, plastic wrap(not stretch tight but almost) across the bowl or cup. The whole point is to not allow the chemical reaction to bubble up, and rather force it to push through.
Do not do this to your drains. It could plug up the main drain line and cause more issues and is more expensive to fix. I recommend removing the p trap and rinsing it out in another sink or with a water hose
Or use one of the plastic zip snakes that will grab onto the clogging material and pull it back out. I’ve never had that fail. We moved into a new house we bought about a year ago and in one of the bathrooms both the sink and tub drains barely drained. I used the zip snake things, which are incredibly cheap from any hardware store, and removed enough hair to make a freaking wig. It was gross but the drains worked like new after!! And there was zero damage to the pipes like you can get with the baking soda and vinegar or other pressure methods.
If you mix table salt with baking soda then pour vinegar in, you don’t have to cap it off to get it to move. Just wait 5 minutes then pour hot water, the chemical and heat reaction dissolves the clog.
I’ve been doing this for years and I’m 70. A few times a months, I clean all my drains with vinegar and baking soda. Clears them of soap scum and grease. BTW, I’ve NEVER, EVER needed a plumber and toilet innards aren’t difficult.
This is a traditional trend my mother taught us years ago!!! White vinegar and baking soda have many benefits for several things!!! I also use baking soda and vinegar with a little bit of liquid Dawn dishwasher to clean my jewelry!! Works way better than jewelry cleaners!!! ❤❤
In perfect smooth new pipe, it might work, however most of us don’t have perfect smooth pipe. If it builds enough pressure to push clogs it can push apart slip joint fittings also all it does is move the clog farther down the line
Been doing this for years, the key is to close the drain and repeat if necessary. However, this doesnt always work when people already have corroded/rusty, narrowing of the pipes.
I recently bought one of those things you put down the drain with teeth on it to help clean the shower drain. I pulled out a clump of hair and soap scum the size of a baseball!! I've used the baking soda and vinegar on kitchen sink drains though, and it works great. Just make sure to run hot water down after.
Through a lil diy I found out that an air compressor also works if snaking it doesn’t. You just have to seal off any connecting piping to the clogged drain quite securely or it may or may not look like a volcanic eruption.
Its just pressure. It doesn't work without plugging the drain and it is exactly the same as what you get with a plunger - and you don't have to cap anything.
Maybe its not supposed to work without plugging the drain, but I know at least one drain it worked on without plugging the drain. Mine. Now, for sure it did have to do it multiple times. I did have to uses two bottles of vinegar and two cartons of baking soda. But it did eventually clear my drain.
@@zen-sufiI certainly do. The trap is meant to be easily disassembled. A five to ten minute job. Depending on your setup, you need either no specialized tools or no tools at all.
Okay most house sinks have a two way conection system like two sinks that connect tp one drai vinegar and baking soda would not neccasariply help maybe if you cover it but just use drain covers to stop the wast from going down your drain or get a disposal
HOW TO: get your clog even deeper down your drain and make it an even more expensive problem that you’ll inevitably ring the plumber to come sort out anyway. (Obviously depends on the severity of said clog) my advice as a Tradie would be to take apart the pipes under your sink at the points they thread together first to see if the clog is in the immediate pipes and not deeper into the wall.
I use baking soda and vinegar on everything so I don't have harsh chemicals around my Littles and it definitely helps unclog minor drain clogs but sever ones we just take the sink apart and remove whatever got shoved down there lol
@@manum5998vinagre helps you with processing foods plus other benefits but Apple vinagre it's better and there is already a %5.0 fermented alcohol beverage made of Apple Cider Vinagre lol
For one thing it’s clean plastic pipe or glass. So it’s smooth , of course it’s gonna slide. In a real drain clog, you use baking soda and salt and let it sit overnight. It clears out all the sludge
If you don't want to use baking soda and vinegar, you can just fill up your sink with water and take a cup and put it in the water and pump water down the drain with the cup by just continually pulsing the cup kind of like how you would with a toilet plunger. It's the momentum of the water that clears the clog.
Over years, with 3 boys growing up in the house. Many a clog. We've tried them all. By far the best remains, a good plunger, the kind that actually pushes water down when you plunge. Saves much time, money, and the potential problems of certain chemical reactions.
I pour my old baking soda from my freezer and frige down the kitchen, bathtub, toilet when i have to replace it. I pour a little water with it and let it sit 😮 do it often enough, no need for bio hazard chemicals to clear the pipes.
As a plumber, this is a lie . It will only work if you can seal the pipe off so that the pressure pushes the clog…. What’s more likely to happen is you have a hell of a mess to clean up And still have a clog…..
@@MagicCityWD40depends what is causing the clog. Kitchen sinks you can run the disposal if it has one, cover up the other side and run it. If it's still clogged, you will have to start removing the ptrap, if it's not that, then bring out the auger. This method won't work due to vent pipes.
It works in this scenario cause its just creating pressure to push it out which works until it hits the vent. Easier to just take the trap loose on something like this instead of pushing it on down the line
I pour pure bleach down drains. Bc bleach will dissolve hair and nails over time. So when my shower stall drain starts to act clogged or slow. I pour one gallon down and let it sit overnight. And it’s fixed.
Pretty neat. Does it work the same if it's a double sink with a garbage disposal? We had a grease block cuz kids allowing too much grease down and it took forever to get unclogged.
If you want the cleanest shower, ever, mix equal parts, vinegar and dawn. Dishwashing liquid, warm up the vinegar First, scrub it in..leave 30 minutes..rinse...it's amazing.
Makes sense…I think vinegar helps break down hard water build up and Dawn is definitely the best dish soap so I might try this 👍🏿 Baking soda and vinegar works well in your window seals too
What y’all fail to realize is that it would still be so much quicker to just unscrew the trap and clear the clog. Your pipes are not this short. Once past the trap there could be 10’s of yards of pipe. She had to pour and build pressure for that 1’ of pipe 3 times. Now, imagine that pipe is 75’+ long - good luck!!
Good vid. Also I stumbled upon a 1/2 inch diameter 13inch long bristle brush made by Drinkwell, called . 3 brushes total. I successfully unclogged both bathroom sinks & bathtub/shower drains from a WHOLE lot of hair & soap scum & blk sludge!
Thank you I needed to see that! I think the trick is covering up the opening as I've used baking soda and vinegar to try and clear my drains but it didn't really seem to be working, so now I'm going to try it with keeping the drain right after pouring in the baking soda and vinegar!
Well, the science behind it is that baking soda is sodium carbonate, and vinegar is acidic. When an acid reacts with a carbonate, they give an effervescence of a gas, carbon dioxide, and that is what pushes the clog. I guess we all now realise why covering the pipe is important. It forces the gas to move in just one direction. You learnt something new today👍🏾
Okay but here's a fun little fact. That pip just end into a bucket. House pipes don't so all you do is push it forward into to piping of your house hoping it makes it into a larger pipe and becomes a problem deeper into the system
31 years old when I finally learned you have to actually COVER the open end after pouring those two down the drain for it to actually work! 🤦♀️ haha thank you! Now I can stop just disinfecting the grime in the drain
Alternative method: remove the p trap and clean it out, they're made to remove easy, and if it's a kitchen sink with a disposal, put half a lemon in it and turn it on with running water and some vinegar. No need for forced pressure, to call the plumber or buy expensive drain cleaners if you take the initiative, and you'll feel better seeing it for yourself knowing it's properly cleaned, just keep a bucket at the ready for when you remove the pipe
In my experience the only problem with doing this is if there's any weak points in the PVC especially if it's an older house that runs off the property with ceramic that's most likely has roots going all through it. It will blow the pipe out.
Drainage pipes increase in size the further out they go. You don't have to push a clog very far for it to be in a pipe big enough to move freely. This is the same thing a plunger does, it pushes things further down the line until the clog is released.
@@shiroshnur you're supposed to pull the clog out not push it deeper. Have fun ruining your wax seal and flange 👍. Sure, your solution will work...until it doesn't then you've got a bigger job on your hands.
@@giomatos9276 where do you live that they put wax seals on the sink? And this wouldn't affect a sink flange. Did you not watch the video? This is obviously not for a toilet. Nor did I recommend this as an alternative to other methods of relieving a clog, I'm just pointing out that the theory behind it is using the same principles as how a plunger dislodges clogs.
@@medinatabor6492 can you digest vinegar? Yes. Can you digest chemical product? No, so what product do you think has stronger cleaning components? The one you will literally die if you digest. Enough said. Sure this works for pipes, but Im not cleaning the house with that stinky shit.
I’d say every now and then fill up sink halfway with hot water and drain a few times to keep your pipes clean and don’t pour oils, solids, residual foods such as egg shells, rice, pastas seeds and so on.
