How to Clear a Drain with Baking Soda

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

You can use baking soda for a number of household chores, including unclogging drains. Combine baking soda with vinegar and hot water to remove stubborn clogs. Clean your drains and keep them clear by flushing them with baking soda once a week.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Unclogging a Drain With Baking Soda and Vinegar

1
Put 0.5 cups (8.0 US tbsp) of baking soda down the drain. Measure out 0.5 cups (8.0 US tbsp) of baking soda. Carefully empty the baking soda into your clogged drain. If your sink has a stopper, use a cotton swab to push all of the baking soda into the drain.^{[1]
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- To keep the baking soda from sticking as you pour it, dry off the inside of your sink or tub with a rag beforehand.
2
Pour 0.5 cups (120 ml) of white vinegar down the drain. Measure out 0.5 cups (8.0 US tbsp) of vinegar. Pour it into the drain slowly over the baking soda. This will cause a reaction between the two ingredients that should unclog your drain. ^{[2]
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- This reaction may not have an effect if your drain is clogged by hair.
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3
Cover the drain with a wet cloth for 5 minutes. Placing a wet cloth over the opening of the drain will seal in the baking soda and vinegar, making them more potent. Let the ingredients sit in the drain for a full 5 minutes. If you leave them for a briefer period of time they are unlikely to unclog your drain. ^{[3]
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4
Pour a full pot or kettle of boiling water down the drain. During the 5 minutes when the baking soda and vinegar are sitting in your drain, boil water. After 5 minutes, remove the cloth covering the drain. Slowly pour the boiling water down the drain to wash away the baking soda, vinegar, and the remaining traces of the clog.^{[4]
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- Avoid pouring the hot water too fast as it may splash back and burn you.
5
Repeat the process if necessary. If baking soda and vinegar do not successful unclog your drain the first time you use them, feel free to try again. These natural ingredients won't harm your sinks or drains. It may take 2 or 3 tries for the reaction to successfully remove all of the buildup clogging your drains.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Doing a Routine Cleaning With Baking Soda

1
Pour 1 cup (16 US tbsp) of baking soda down the drain. Baking soda is effective enough to clean both bathroom and kitchen drains. For a regular drain cleaning, measure out 1 cup (16 US tbsp) of baking soda. Carefully sprinkle it into the drain. ^{[6]
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- Dry out the inside of your sinks or tub first to prevent the baking soda from sticking to them.
2
Drizzle about 0.125 cups (2.00 US tbsp) of warm water over the baking soda. Moisten the baking soda to allow it to stick to the inside of the drain. After pouring the baking soda into the drain, carefully drizzle about 0.125 cups (2.00 US tbsp) on top of it. Do this slowly and gently enough to avoid washing the baking soda down the sink.^{[7]
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- You can also moisten the baking soda with a fine mist of warm water from a spray bottle.
3
Let the baking soda sit for 1 hour. To clean your drains effectively, baking soda will have to sit for at least 60 minutes to permeate dirt and other buildup. Set a timer for an hour to keep track of the time. Avoid using the sink or tub before then. ^{[8]
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4
Run the water to flush the baking soda away. After an hour, turn on the tap. Run warm water down the drain for several minutes. This should be enough to flush away the baking soda and any debris it loosened from your drain. ^{[9]
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- Repeat this cleaning process on your drains once a week to avoid clogs.

Expert Q&A

Question

Is it OK to pour vinegar down the drain?

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Green Cleaning Expert

Expert Answer

Yes, it is! It has a very high acid content — which is why it’s great on soap scum! — and will break down a good bit of organic content that is stuck.