Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they're combined, acids “donate” protons to bases; in this case, it's acetic acid lending a hydrogen proton to the bicarbonate. When bicarbonate gains a hydrogen proton, it forms carbonic acid (or H2CO3) which is unstable and eventually decomposes.
If you have a stubborn clog, sometimes the baking soda & vinegar trick just doesn't work. You may have to use a sink plunger to help push through the blockage. You can also use a drain snake to remove any clogs. Preventing buildup is key to maintaining your drains.
Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice or other acidic liquid. If the mixture fizzes heavily, the baking soda is still good. If you don't get much of a fizz, your baking soda has gone bad. Use the rest of the box for cleaning or set in the fridge open to remove odors; but buy another box for your baking.
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid; when the two are combined, you get a fizzy chemical reaction that has some properties that can eat away at a clog. However, when you use this combination to unclog a drain, it's just plain ineffective.
When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the acid breaks down baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned. Here are some recipes to try. Freshen your sink by mixing one part of baking soda with two parts of vinegar.
Here's how to clean your kitchen sink:
Wet the sink, sprinkle baking soda over the surface, and scrub, then rinse. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and the same paste on the rim and caulk. Line the sink with paper towels that you've soaked in white vinegar. Leave them there for 20 minutes.
How long do you leave baking soda and vinegar on carpet? For maximum stain-removing power, you should let the solution of vinegar and baking soda sit on your carpet for about 3 hours.
If a kitchen or bathroom sink drain still smells after removing trapped hair and using the baking soda and vinegar, there may be something caught in the p-trap that's causing the odor.
If you've determined it's not a clogged sink but still have a slow-draining sink when you run water, it is most likely a plumbing vent issue. Plumbing vents are located on the top of people's homes.
Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain, using a spatula or spoon to push the powder down the drain if necessary. Pour one cup of white vinegar down the drain opening. Place a stopper or cover on the drain to seal the opening. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
Here's the easiest way to test: Spoon some baking soda into a bowl (you don't need to measure it or to add too much) and add a few drops of an acidic liquid, such as lemon juice or vinegar. If it starts to fizz immediately and vigorously, the baking soda will still work well for baking recipes.
In too large a dose, baking soda is also poisonous. This is due to the powder's high sodium content. When someone takes too much sodium bicarbonate, the body tries to correct the balance of salt by drawing water into the digestive system. This causes diarrhea and vomiting.
If you use it quickly and rinse it off, you might be fine, but allowing a baking soda mixture to sit on the surface for too long can cause it to oxidize, which means that the surface changes color.
Let hot water run for a minute to warm up the pipes. Drop in 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour in 1 cup of vinegar, cover the drain with a plug and let sit for 10 minutes – you will hear fizzing.
Adding vinegar to baking soda gives you an immediate reaction. Adding baking soda to vinegar, the reaction is delayed, but then fizzes the same amount. More vinegar is better. A 12 to 1 ratio of vinegar to baking soda caused a fizzing explosion!
Leave it in the drain for an hour or two or overnight, and then flush the drain with hot tap water. For larger drains, such as tubs and kitchen sinks, use about a quarter-cup of baking soda, a half-cup of water to move the powder down, and 2 cups of vinegar.
If your snake isn't unclogging your drains, it could be because the thumbscrew is loose, the clog is too severe, or the auger is dirty. Or maybe you just need a refresher on how to use a drain snake. A drain auger (snake) is a simple, inexpensive necessity for every homeowner.
Look under your sink and find the U-bend, it's the first bend in the pipe immediately below the plughole. Put your bucket/dish under the U-bend and carefully unscrew the section of pipe. The U-bend has two sets of threads, one at either end. As you loosen them any backed up water will drain out, so take your time.
If your snaking session yields plenty of hair and soap scum, but still leaves you with a slow drain, there's a good chance that the P-trap is still obstructed. To clear it, plug the overflow hole with a rag and fill the tub drain with hot water, which will help to soften and loosen soap scum.
This can help prevent clog-causing buildup on the interior surface of pipes. Or you can pour one cup of vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes, followed by a rinse with two quarts of very hot water.
A slow-draining sink clogged with ordinary hair and soap scum can build up bacteria in the P-trap until your bathroom sink smells like rotten eggs. This smell can also happen in sinks that haven't been used for a long time. Clear the clog by using a combination of baking soda, white vinegar and hot water.
It is important that you pour the vinegar first, and not the baking soda. Pouring vinegar on top of baking soda creates a much less controllable reaction than pouring in the proper order. The baking soda should fizzle and bubble. After the reaction is done, wipe and vacuum the vinegar and baking soda from the carpet.
The longer the baking soda stays on the rug, the more odor, dirt, and oil it will absorb, for a more thorough clean. Try leaving baking soda on the carpet overnight and vacuuming in the morning.
Although mixing vinegar and baking soda is not considered dangerous, you should still avoid mixing these in a container. Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic.