If your drains have slowed down and are starting to smell, they need to be cleaned. You can clean your drains naturally to avoid damaging your septic system or the municipal sewage system. If you find that cleaning them doesn’t resolve the problem, you have a plumbing problem that needs professional help. Five Star Plumbing would be happy to inspect your plumbing system to find out why the drains are slow and releasing an unpleasant odor. In the meantime, here’s how to clean your drains.
Gather Your Supplies
You need very few supplies to clean your drains naturally. All you need is baking soda, plain salt, and white vinegar. You will be using a lot of baking soda and white vinegar, so head to the store and buy the largest size of each. Once you have your supplies in hand, you are ready to clean your drains.
Clean the Drains
Take 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour it down each drain. Make sure as much of the baking soda gets down into the drain as possible. Next, take 1/2 cup of white vinegar and pour that down each drain. You will hear the solution start to fizzle. Plug each drain to keep the solution from running down into the plumbing system further. You want to keep it in the upper portion of the drain. If you have a particular problem with unpleasant odors, pour a little baking soda and white vinegar down the tiny holes that serve as emergency drains in your sinks, as well.
Set the Timer
Set a timer for 30 minutes. This is how long you want the solution to work inside of the drains. If your drains are particularly dirty, you can set a timer for one hour. Do not run any water in the sinks or tubs while the cleaning solution is doing its job. Act as if your water has been turned off during this duration.
Boil Water
Once the time is almost up, boil water in a large pan. Make sure that you bring the water to a rolling boil and then add 1/2 cup of the salt. Make sure the salt is not iodized. It should be just plain salt. Once the timer rings, unplug each drain and pour the boiling salt water down each drain to rinse away the cleaning solution. Poor salt water down the emergency drains, as well, if you cleaned them.
If you are still having problems with your drains after you have done the above, call Five Star Plumbing in Castroville, TX, right away. We will inspect the drains to find out what’s wrong.
