Pouring Vinegar Down Drains May Not Prevent Future Problems

For years, the go-to "homemade" cleaning solution for your kitchen has been vinegar and baking soda. The mixture is often touted as a cheap, easy, and equally effective alternative to more expensive store-bought cleaners. Partially, this is true. Vinegar and baking soda provide some genius ways to clean your kitchen, but only for certain types of messes. Moreover, mixing them is not the magic solution we've been led to believe. In particular, you should not pour this combo down your drain if you have a clog. You may end up creating more problems for yourself in the long run, including worsening the clog or damaging pipes.

It's important to note that together, vinegar and baking soda only create carbon dioxide, water, and a little salt. That fizzy reaction is the gas escaping, which also reduces the cleaning effectiveness of both products. While the bubbling action may provide some physical agitation to partially remove a clog, it's no more effective than pouring Coca-Cola down the drain. The gas will simply exit the drain the way it entered without producing enough pressure to move much.

Most drain clogs are held together by greasy buildup. Chemically, vinegar and baking soda don't dissolve grease, so it's a poor choice. You can test this for yourself by placing a cube of butter in two bowls. Add baking soda and vinegar to one, and hot water with dish soap to the other, then come back after five minutes to compare. The butter in the vinegar solution will remain solid, while the other will have partially melted.

Pressure is needed to clean your kitchen drain, and as we said before, vinegar and baking soda do not generate enough of it. While it's true that this mixture will put some pressure on the clog, it also stresses your pipes. Any gas buildup in a confined space will follow the path of least resistance. If your pipes are older, thin PVC, or have weak couplings, this pressure could damage them rather than breaking up the clog. You also risk pushing the clog further down the pipe instead of removing it entirely. To make matters worse, the acid in the vinegar can corrode metal pipes.

Another reason that pouring vinegar and baking soda in your drain is ineffective is that they only work together. If you have a clogged drain, there's a good chance the clog is further down, with water sitting on top of it. When you pour in vinegar and baking soda, you are adding them to that water, which dilutes both and greatly reduces their already limited clog-clearing powers. The residue leftover from this diluted mixture may become part of the clog, making it worse.

When you have a clogged drain, avoid common drain cleaning mistakes like using harsh chemicals, and don't resort to using vinegar and baking soda, either. Instead, try a plunger or a drain snake. You can also place a bucket under the sink trap, remove it, and clear the clog manually.