People are ditching vinegar in favour of another natural for cleaning hack
Usually, every major cleaning crisis means reaching for trusty natural solutions in your kitchen cupboard including vinegar and baking soda - but not when it comes to unblocking your sinks.
Blocked drains are frustrating and inconvenient but they are also preventable. While dishes are washed in the sink each day, many people are still unaware of how much build up there can be in drains over time if they aren't cleaned thoroughly. Clogging can be down to a build-up of grease, dirt, hair, soap, oils and small pieces of food.
The go-to solution for many people who want to start with natural remedies is using vinegar or baking soda, but whilst this combination can be used for tough stains it won't be useful for removing grime and grease. There won't be much impact when it comes to cleaning your blockage and there is a much better method to try the Express reports.
Cleaning expert Wendy Graham who is also the founder of sustainability website Moral Fibres said: "In the case of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, bicarbonate of soda is a base while vinegar is an acid. Their chemical reaction produces water with a tiny bit of salt in it.
"Unblocking a drain with salty water is rarely effective. This is because salty water doesn't destroy fats that may be blocking your drain. You need something that will break down the fat, and tackle the oil and grease that is lodged in your drain."
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So how can it be done? Wendy recommends using soda crystals which are cost cost-effective type of mineral salt. Soda crystals are a natural method which can break down the fats in food, oil or soaps that are causing a blocked drain. According to Wendy, soda crystals have "detergent properties" which will battle against the grease and grime you want to get rid of. Soda crystals can be purchased from Savers for just £1.79, or alternatively, Ocado for £2.
You can unblock your sink by using soda crystal and following this method:
1. First, fill up a kettle with water and let it boil, then carefully and slowly pour the kettle of water down the drain.
2. Once the boiling water has drained away, pour a large cup of soda crystals down the drain.
3. Wait five to 10 minutes to allow the soda crystals to break down the fat and grease in the drain.
4. Next, fill up the kettle again, let it boil and pour it once again slowly drain the drain to wash away the soda crystals.
5. Repeat the steps until your drain is fully clear. You should see the drain slowly unclogging and improving every time you repeat these steps.
If you are trying to unclog a drain with hair you may need to change tact as soda crystals just aren't strong enough to break through the hair. Instead, you can grab a drain cleaning brush from Amazon for £5.
Wendy recommends using the brush down the drain and twisting until all the hair blocking the drain has been removed. She said, "It naturally unblocks the drain without the use of expensive and harsh chemicals. And one brush can replace plastic bottle after plastic bottle of chemically dubious drain cleaner, making it a more eco-friendly option."
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