A drain that does not get clean can lead to any number of issues. Whether that is serious plumbing issues such as blockages or back flow, or something as simple as a nasty smell. Unclean drains are particularly common in the kitchen thanks to our good friend the garbage disposal. This week, we are exploring some DIY drain cleaners that work. Read on to learn our top five recipes for getting your plumbing clean with at-home drain cleaners.

Recipe #1 – The Ice Cube Hack

This mix is specifically for garbage disposals.

  • Ice cube tray
  • Rock salt
  • Lemon slice & orange slices
  • Water

Sprinkle a little bit of the rock salt into each compartment and the ice cube tray. Follow with the chunks of lemon and orange. Then, fill the ice cube tray up with water, and set in the freezer until the ice cubes are solid. Next, simply take an ice cube drop it down the drain and turn the garbage disposal on.

The rock salt and the citric acid from the lemons and oranges removes food debris from the blades of the garbage disposal, as well as the walls of the pipe. In addition to the food debris being removed, the lemon and orange emit a refreshing citrus scent. No more stinky sink!

Recipe #2 – Words

  • ½ cup baking soda
  • ¼ cup table salt
  • 1 cup vinegar, heated but not boiling
  • Drain plug or other cover.

Begin by mixing the baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Then, pour the mixture down the drain that is having problems. Follow that solution up with the cup of heated vinegar, then uickly cover the drain with the plug or other cover. Once the vinegar touches the salt and baking soda solution, it will begin to bubble and foam up the pipe. If the drain is not covered, the entire solution will simply bubble out and not actually clean much of anything.

Once the drain is sealed, leave everything for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes is up, unclog the drain and run tap water on the hottest setting it can achieve for about a minute. This should eliminate any clogs that your drain has, even grease and oil.

Recipe #3 – Words

  • 1/4 cup of baking soda
  • 1/4 cup of table salt
  • 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar

The suggested ingredients are for a single use of drain cleaning. However, it is very easy to multiply this recipe to make multiple uses at once. They can be stored in a jar and saved for later.

Begin by combining all of the ingredients, either by mixing them in a bowl or by placing them in a jar and shaking thoroughly. Pour the contents of the jar or bowl down the drain and quickly following it up with a pot of boiling water. Leave the drain for one hour, do not use the drain during this time, or you are simply rinsing the solution away. After an hour, you can now use your clean and sparkling sink.