There has been mould inside of the built-in wardrobe (sorted that), limescale-ridden showerheads (cleaned those), and now my kitchen sink was draining ever so slowly.
Having already spent £200 for a plumber’s time to install and run a washing machine (don’t ask), and spending money on furnishing the place, money is a bit tight.
Quickly looking online, I came across Martha Stewart’s advice on how to unclog a drain with baking soda and white vinegar.
All I needed was baking soda, white vinegar, boiling water and a clean cloth or drain plug – perfect, as I already had all of those at home.
The instructions seemed simple enough, so I gave it a go (it was the least I could do), and I had my favourite measuring glass from Tiger to help with measurements.
Instructions
- If your sink has standing water, use a bucket to eliminate as much as possible
- Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain
- Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar into the drain slowly
- Immediately cover the drain with a clean cloth or drain plug to enhance the effectiveness of the foaming action
- Let the baking soda and vinegar mixture sit for about 30 minutes to an hour, then remove the cloth or drain plug
- Boil a pot of water
- Pour it slowly into the drain, giving it time to move through the pipes
- Let water flow from the tap to see how well it drains
- If the clog remains, you may need to repeat the process
As soon as I poured boiling water from the kettle down the drain, the sinks that are connected both filled up with water.
The one on the right-hand side would have been discoloured from tea that I emptied earlier on in the day.
Panicking, as it wouldn’t go down, I went to the shop to buy Mr Muscle Drain Foamer.
The only snag at that point, however, was that I had to wait until all the water was drained to even put Mr Muscle down the sink.
By the time I had made and eaten dinner, now with a pile of unwashed dishes on the side, the water was still taking its time to drain down the sink.
So I scooped up the water with a jug to dispose of it down the bathroom sink instead.
Once that was done, I poured the whole contents of Mr Muscle down the sink (as per the instructions on the back), waited half hour, poured more boiled water, and it still didn’t work.
Dismayed, I distracted myself with other housework while the kitchen sink slowly drained.
Once emptied, I thought, I may as well give the baking soda and vinegar hack another shot, so I did, and then it worked.
I won’t know if repeating the baking soda and vinegar hack would have worked without Mr Muscle, but I do know that I can source comments from professional plumbers because of my job, so that’s what I will be doing next.
The kitchen sink might be draining darn well this morning, but who knows what might happen later this evening.
