Thursday, March 29, 2012

"Time to..." Thursday: Unclog those Drains!

Okay....I am REALLY excited about today's post!  I discovered a talent I never even knew I had....apparently I'm a pretty good PLUMBER!  I know....who would have guessed, right?!  

Well, over the last couple of years it felt like we were CONSTANTLY dealing with a sink or tub that was always draining too slowly.  My husband tried everything....nothing worked....not even Drano!  Oh, it might have drained a LITTLE bit faster for a day or two, but that was it.  Well, in one of my searches, I ran across an article that said to pour 1/2 cup of salt down a drain that was clogged, along with 1 quart of hot water.  Sounded easy enough to me!  So, I grabbed the salt and headed to the bathroom sink.  First attempt....nothing much, but I noticed some "gunky" stuff starting to loosen up inside of the drain.  I pulled it out with a coat hanger....cause there was NO WAY my hands were touching that stuff!  (Ewww....my stomach turns just thinking about it!)  Anyway, second attempt....it started draining a little quicker....then VOILA!!  It worked!!  FINALLY....an unclogged drain!!  Woohoo!!


Then I decided that if it worked so well on the sink, it would probably do the same thing in the tub.  Tried it once, nothing.  Twice....nothing.  Three times....still nothing.  Oh well, at least it worked on my sink!  So, I went back to my "searches" and ran across another technique for slow drains.  This one suggested 1/2 cup of Baking Soda with 1/2 cup of Vinegar.  So....I grabbed the Baking Soda and Vinegar and headed back to the tub!  It said to pour them in and cover the drain with a wet rag for five minutes.  Jen was at my house by this time and I filled her in on my little experiment!  We waited....went back 5 minutes later and flushed it with hot water as it suggested.  Well.....all it did was fill up my bathtub with MORE water that STILL wasn't draining.....darn it.  I told Jen it looked like it wasn't going to work afterall.  BUT THEN.....all of the sudden, the drain made a "suction" sound and WHOOOSH.....that water went down the drain so fast it looked like a mini tornado!  IT WORKED!!  I couldn't wait to tell my husband the good news....that his wife, (yes, the same one that grosses out at the sight of a hair in the sink or tub) fixed the drains!



Oh, and another bonus I discovered....apparently salt works pretty good at cleaning bathtubs too!  I noticed that a small area where the salt had been from the first experiment, was suddenly cleaner than the rest of the tub.  So, I decided to put it to the test.  I sprinkled a little bit of salt, grabbed a wet rag and started wiping!  I was surprised how easily it cleaned the tub....very little scrubbing at all!  I think I might have just found a new favorite "cleaning product."

So, what have I learned from this whole experience?
"Who needs a Plumber when you've got....
Baking Soda, White Vinegar and Salt?!"  

Clogged Drains? 
Oh yeah.....BRING IT ON!!

What's your favorite "home remedy" that you've tried?



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14 comments:

  1. I've seen the baking soda and vinegar one before, but never the salt. Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I think the baking soda and vinegar actually worked a little quicker than the salt...wish I would have discovered it years ago! Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  3. You are too funny! I am glad that you for the drain working again. I am now your newest follower. ;0

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  4. Glad to have you here! Yes, I'm very thankful that drain is working again too....makes the mornings a lot happier! ;)

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  5. Brilliant! I have been using vinegar A LOT for the past several years. Now I have a few more uses for it!

    Thanks for linking up with #BestOfTheBlogosphere!

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    1. I know...who would have ever thought that vinegar, which usually sits on the shelf until it's used for making Easter Egg dye once a year, had so many GREAT uses?! I've been missing out...I think it's now become one of my new favorite products! (Better start buying it by the gallon!) :D

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  6. This is seriously great information! Our drains tend to clog a lot (probably due to me having long hair) and drano helps, but doesn't really clear them up. I am going to have John try this.

    Now following you on FB and Twitter from SSS hop. http://www.housesbyshannon.blogspot.com (mommy of one and counting)

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    1. Hi Shannon! Glad you found us here...we're following you on fb and twitter too. :)
      I know what you mean about the long hair....I have the same dilemma, but wouldn't give it up for anything! ;) Hope the baking soda and vinegar trick works just as well for you guys - nothing worse than showering with water around your ankles! :D

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  7. I've always used baking soda and vinegar, but never thought of salt. thanks for the tips.

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  8. I thought the baking soda and vinegar worked much better than the salt...at least quicker. :)

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    1. I used salt and baking powder followed by vinegar. Worked a dream.

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  9. Ah, so, you’ve done it through natural drain cleaners. Nice! I actually prefer this method. It works a little slower, but there are no worries when it comes to safety. This homemade formula makes a mild solution. Mild on skin, but tough on gunk! Just a friendly tip: Don’t use this method if you’ve already poured commercial cleaner onto the drains. You wouldn’t be able to tell how the chemicals might react.

    -->Darryl Iorio

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  10. “I discovered a talent I never even knew I had....apparently I'm a pretty good PLUMBER!”--- That’s nice! Haha! Using natural cleaners efficient on your drains really took off a lot of the pressure, didn’t it? What if it failed the next time? What would you do? I think that would be a real challenge on you being a good plumber. But for sure, you already have a solution for that! ;))

    Althea Tumlin

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  11. question: does it work if there's already water in your tub and it won't drain at all? that's the problem we have right now. :(

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