Homemade Drain Cleaner Recipes

Here are 4 recipes for homemade drain cleaner using (mostly) natural ingredients, for both clogs and odors, so you don't have to use caustic commercial drain cleaners.

Some drain cleaners are used to deodorize drains which have started to develop a smell, and others are used to unclog a slow drain.

There are recipes for both below.

Please note for safety, if you have already poured a commercial drain cleaner down your drain you need to call a professional to come clear the clog if the commercial product did not work.

You do not want to be pouring even more chemicals down your drain which could have an adverse reaction with something you have already used.

In addition, each of these recipes is to be used separately, and not one after the other. Again, just like with commercial products, if you use one and it does not fix your drain problem you should call a professional, and never mix chemicals. A prime example is you should never mix ammonia and chlorine bleach, because it can create toxic gas as part of the chemical reaction between the two.

Vinegar And Baking Soda Drain Cleaner For Clogs

Baking soda and vinegar, when combined, have a chemical reaction which makes it fizz and foam.

(To learn more about this chemical reaction, check out my article about what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar together here.)

This reaction, when it happens in a slow drain, can help physically remove the clog which is slowly building up in your drain, cleaning it naturally and safely.

All you need for this natural homemade drain cleaner is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 gallon boiling water

Directions:

First, pour the baking soda down the drain.

Next, slowly pour the vinegar into the drain so that it fizzes and foams, which is the chemical reaction you desire.

Hint: Don't pour the vinegar too quickly or you will merely flush everything down the drain and it won't clean like it is supposed to.

Now, wait until the vinegar and baking soda stop bubbling, which could take about five minutes or so.

Finally, slowly pour the boiling water down the drain. This step helps flush away the clog that was already loosened by the reaction of the baking soda and vinegar.

You may need to repeat this step a few times, depending on the severity of the clog.

Of course, if you need to repeat you may also want to use a plunger on the drain, along with this method to help clear the drain of any blockages.

Ammonia Drain Cleaner To Loosen Clogs

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons ammonia
• 2 gallons boiling water

Amonnia For Cleaning {Referral Links}

Directions:

Mix the ammonia with one gallon of boiling water (reserve the other gallon of boiling water for later use) and slowly pour down the drain.

Let the solution sit in the clogged or slow drain for approximately five minutes.

Next, use a plunger to loosen the clog and then rinse the drain with an additional gallon of boiling water.

Note: If your clog is caused by hair, a completely chemical free way you might try to clear the clog (before you use the ammonia drain cleaner listed above) is to Zip It drain unclogger. It's a cheap little tool that comes in really handy in such situations. (Click the link for my review of this product, costs less than $5!)

Deodorize Your Drain With Washing Soda

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons hot water
• 1 gallon warm water
• 1/2 cup washing soda

Directions:

Pour half the hot water down the drain.

Next, mix the washing soda with the warm water and slowly pour this mixture down the drain.

Finally, rinse by pouring the rest of the hot water down the drain.

Use Chlorine Bleach To Deodorize Your Stinky Drain

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup chlorine bleach
• 1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
• 1 gallon warm water
• 1 gallon hot water

Chlorine Bleach {Referral Links}

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, except the hot water, together in a bucket and pour the mixture down the drain slowly.

Next, rinse the drain by pouring a gallon of hot water down the drain.

Do You Have A Recipe For Drain Cleaner To Share?

I have provided several recipes for homemade drain cleaner, but there are even more that can work.

Please share your recipes here so we can all learn even more possible ways to clean our drain with ingredients available in our homes.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Homemade Cleaning Products Recipes

Bleach Uses For Cleaning, Laundry & Stain Removal

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.