Unblock a clogged drain in 10 minutes with natural 60p item - no vinegat needed (2024)

It can be fustrating when a drain clogs, but there is a easy solution (Image: Getty)

Drains can easily become blocked due to the huge amount of grease, soap and food that goes down them daily, but there is a simple way to unclog them without too much effort.

It is commonly suggested online to try using vinegar or baking soda to unblock a drain, but this is actually not very effective and is usually useless to try.

Vinegar and baking soda are excellent at removing stains which is why they are often used for cleaning, but they cannot effectively break down the fats, grease and oils that are likely clogging up a pipe.

However, there is a much better way to fix a clogged drain naturally without having to resort to pricy or chemical unblockers

On Mrs Hinch's Cleaning Tips Facebook page, one cleaning enthusiast was disappointed after trying out the vinegar and baking soda to fix their drain so asked other users for help.

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Soda crystals are cheap, natural and highly effective at breaking down the grease and oils which are likely clogging a drain (Image: Getty)

They wrote: What’s the best way to unblock plugholes? I’ve noticed [the] water is going really slow down now, I’ve tried white vinegar and baking soda.

“I don’t want to use harsh chemicals either.”

Other cleaning fans quickly replied and said that soda crystals were one of the best eco-friendly solutions that are fairly cheap.

One user wrote: “Soda crystals are the most natural method I’ve found. They’re only 60p in Asda for a big bag but the trick of putting them down the drain works every time.”

Another person replied: “Use soda crystals and boiling water.”

Someone else said: “Use soda crystals. Pack them in and then 10 minutes later pour boiling water over them.”

Drains can quickly be clear in only 10 minutes after leaving soda crystals to break down grease (Image: Getty)

Soda crystals, also called washing soda, are the crystalised version of sodium carbonate which is highly alkaline, which means it can easily break down acidic grease, food particles, soap, oil and other fats which may be blocking a drain.

Not only can soda crystals fix a clogged drain but they are excellent at removing burned or stubborn food stains from dishes, cleaning extractor fans and even making ovens look sparkling clean once again.

All you need to do is remove any viable debris or water from the drain if possible and then add around 100g of soda crystals to directly to the drain.

Boil and kettle and pour the hot water down the drain as well, which will help activate the soda crystals and cause the chemical reaction to break down grease.

Leave the soda crystals and boiling water to sit in the drain for at least 10 minutes but for stubborn blockages it is best to leave them for 30 minutes or even an hour.

When the waiting time is up, boil the kettle again to wash away the dissolved crystals and grease and you drain should be clear once again.

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