How to Unclog a Drain with Salt and Vinegar

What do you do when the drain is blocked without a drain cleaner? Don’t worry — you can make your own drain cleaner with iodized salt and vinegar. The combination of the highly abrasive salts and the cleaning power of vinegar will help break up stubborn clogs. Besides, you will pour boiling water to push the mixture through the pipe.

Table of Contents

Use salt and vinegar

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Mix salt and vinegar. Using a small bowl, measure out a cup of salt. Add a cup of vinegar. Mix well to infuse the salt and vinegar together. Continue mixing until the mixture is completely smooth.

Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and mix well to increase the unclogging power of the mixture thanks to the acidity of the lemon.
If the blockage is deep in the pipe, or if you are not using lemon juice, add more vinegar to make the mixture thinner and easier to move.

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Pour the mixture into the drain pipe. First, remove the pipe cap. Then, pour the mixture directly down the tube. Fill the entire cross-section of the pipe so that the mixture penetrates the blockage. Wait about 15 minutes for the block to absorb as much of the mixture as possible. For more stubborn blocks, you should wait 30 minutes.

If you cannot remove the mesh blocking the mouth of the tube, add more vinegar to make the mixture thinner.

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Pour boiling water into the pipe. Use a kettle or pot to boil 2 cups of water. Then, pour hot water directly down the tube. Pour slowly to avoid burns from boiling water. You should also pour slowly to aim the water precisely in the center of the pipe instead of hitting the surrounding wall, so that the water does not lose heat before it reaches the blockage.

Use boiling water rather than hot water from the water heater because the water from the machine needs time before it gets hot.

Mix baking soda, salt and vinegar

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Pour the dry ingredients down the pipe. Use a cup with a small mouth to mix the mixture. Measure out 1/2 cup baking soda and add 1/4 cup salt. Stir the mixture completely. Remove the pipe cap if present. Then pour the mixture directly down the tube. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Use heated vinegar. Bring 1 cup of vinegar to a boil in the microwave or on the stove. When the vinegar has simmered, pour it directly down the drain. Cover the tube immediately with a lid or the bottom of the cup you just used to hold the mixture, as the baking soda will cause the vinegar to foam and bubble. For best results you need to limit the reaction to only happening in the pipeline. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Pour boiling water into the pipe. Wait about 15 minutes for the block to absorb as much of the mixture as possible. For stubborn blockages, you wait 30 minutes. During that time, you will cook 2 cups of boiling water. After the blockage has penetrated sufficiently, open the lid and pour boiling water into the pipe to flush, then turn on the hot water from the faucet. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Use only salt

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Pour salt down the drain pipe. Although the acidity of the vinegar helps to corrode grease and other clogs, the salt alone helps rub the inside of the tube because it is very coarse and abrasive. Measure out 1/2 cup of salt and pour the salt directly down the tube. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Pour boiling water into the pipe. Cook 2 liters of boiling water. Slowly pour the water down the pipe. Aim the stream of water directly at the mouth of the tube to avoid burns from hot water splashing back. After the boiling water is gone, turn on the hot water from the faucet to further flush the pipe. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Repeat. Since only salt is used, you will need to repeat it a few times to remove the blockage. Continue to add 1/2 cup salt at a time, pour in boiling water, and add salt again. ^{[6] X Research Source} Avoid too much salt at a time.

Advice

These steps are safe for septic systems.
Repeat the steps if the blockage is not resolved.
Always use hot to boiling water to flush pipes instead of cold or warm water, as the hotter the water, the easier it is to dissolve grease.
For stubborn blockages, pour boiling water down the pipe before taking other steps to dislodge grease and increase the effectiveness of the solution poured afterwards.
If necessary, use a straight wire from a clothes hanger to hook up hair or objects stuck in the hose.

Things you need

Salt
Vinegar
Mixing bowl or cup
Spoon
Baking soda (optional)
Lemon juice (optional)
Hot water

Steps

Use salt and vinegar

Mix baking soda, salt and vinegar

Use only salt

Advice

Things you need

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