At Modern Kids Design, we enjoy finding greener ways to do just about everything and we like to share tips with each other and our readers. So, for example, anytime we can eliminate a chemical cleaner from our routine, it feels great and we like to share! But clogged drains? That can be challenging and it can be easy to think, it’s time to grab some industrial stuff, right? Well, how about trying this easy remedy first to unclog your drains both safely and naturally? Chances are, you may have everything in your kitchen already!

Remember making “volcanic” explosions as a kid (or helping your own children with one)? You know, you take a little baking soda, add some orange food coloring, pour vinegar on top and *Kaboom*! Fake lava! While fake lava can be fun (and educational), baking soda and vinegar can also help you clean naturally.

Baking Soda Drain Cleaning

Things to have on hand:

½ cup baking soda

1 cup distilled vinegar

Funnel

Drain cover or plug

Pot to boil water

1. Run the hot tap for a minute and then turn it off.

2. Pour the baking soda down the drain using the funnel. If you don’t have a funnel, just try to get as much baking soda as far down the drain as possible.

3. Pour half the vinegar down the drain and quickly cover the drain so that the pressure pushes the clog down. Wait for about 15 minutes.

4. Pour remaining vinegar down the drain and cover immediately.

5. Boil about 8 cups of water. Once done, pour it down the drain to flush out the remaining gunk from the pipes.

If this simple method doesn’t work for you, consider these alternatives before heading to the store for a commercial cleaner.

Wet Dry Vac

I have to be honest, the thought of using a wet dry vac on a drain didn’t occur to me until I began research unclogging drains naturally—and it’s pretty ingenious. Make sure to check that your model can handle it, otherwise, this is a great use for a vacuum you may already have sitting about in your basement or garage.

The Bellows Plunger

This small tool packs a big punch. Available at your local hardware store, it pressurizes the clog with air while you pump it and then hopefully blows it out through the pipe.

Drain Snake

Drain snakes, also available at your local hardware store, “snake” down your drain to find your clog and pull it out. This may be a good option if you know your clog is composed primarily of hair.

Most of these methods require a little more work than a commercial cleaner, but they can easily be used multiple times and don’t add chemicals to waste water.

Do you have any green drain cleaning tips? Let us know! As always, thanks for reading and if there is anything in particular you’d like to read about, feel free to reach out at healthyliving@modernkidsdesign.com.