Blocked drains can be a nightmare, causing everything from bad smells to flooding. Regular cleaning can prevent problems from occurring, however, and you don’t even need expensive cleaning products to keep them spic and span.

The Magic Ingredient

It may seem natural to reach for shop-bought products to clean your drains or deal with blockages when they happen. This may be the least natural option available, pouring in chemicals that are harsh on the environment and also on your pocket. You can read more about the environmental impact of cleaning chemicals on the environment on the BBC Science Focus website

Instead of going down this route, you could simply look in your kitchen cupboards for baking soda and white vinegar. These miracle ingredients have a multitude of uses, one of which is to clean drains and prevent or treat blockages. Obviously, some drain issues will be more serious and will require assistance from professionals such as wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/cctv-drain-surveys-nottingham/ that could provide you with a CCTV drain survey Nottingham or wherever you happen to be in the country.

Using Vinegar to Clean Drains

If you only have a minor blockage or simply want to keep on top of the scum, you can pour a cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by two cups of white vinegar. The exact measurements are not that important but you should always try to use a 1:2 ratio of baking soda to vinegar.

Have a cloth or rag handy and use this to cover the drain. You should then leave it for around 15 minutes. You can finish off the process by pouring some warm to hot water down the drain. Some people recommend using boiling water, but this will depend on what drains you are cleaning and what sort of pipes you have. Many plumbers warn against using boiling water in a kitchen pipeline, for example, as this can melt or soften joints. Over time, this can lead to deterioration of the pipes and leaks.