How to Unclog a Drain with Salt and Vinegar

Co-authored by Kadi Dulude

Last Updated: November 18, 2021 References Approved

When you’ve got a nasty, clogged drain and no drain cleaner on hand, you can make your own homemade drain de-clogger using iodized salt and vinegar. Why should you pour salt down the drain? The combination of abrasive salt with the cleaning power of vinegar should be able to cut through the toughest clogs, and the mild acidity won't damage your pipes.^{[1]
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Research source} We'll show you how to make a DIY drain cleaner with ingredients you already have at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Salt and Vinegar Mix

1
Mix salt and vinegar. In a small bowl, pour 1 cup of salt. Add 1 cup of vinegar. Stir well so the salt soaks up all the vinegar. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and even.
- Add a 1/2 cup of lemon juice and mix thoroughly to give your paste some extra declogging-power thanks to the juice’s acidity.
- If the clog is located deep within the pipe, or if you're leaving the lemon juice out, add more vinegar for a thinner mixture so it travels more easily.
2
Pour the mixture into the drain. First, remove the drain's stopper. Then pour the mixture directly down the drain. Coat the entire drain so the whole clog is sure to absorb the mixture. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes so the clog can absorb as much as possible.^{[2]
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Research source} For especially stubborn clogs, let the clog soak for 30 minutes.
- If you are unable to remove the stopper, add more vinegar to the mixture before pouring so it's thinner.
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3
Rinse the drain with boiling water. Boil 4 cups of water with a kettle or pan. Then pour the water directly into the drain. Pour slowly to avoid splash-back, which may scald you. Also pour slowly so you can aim the water directly into the drain instead of splashing the basin, which may absorb the heat and cool the water on contact before it reaches the clog.^{[3]
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- Use boiling water instead of running hot water from the tap, since it may take a while for the hot water to kick in.
- Be careful about using boiling water on PVC pipes. The hot water can damage or loosen the pipe seals.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Unclogging with Salt and Boiling Water

1
Pour salt down the drain. Although the acidity from vinegar helps to eat through grease and other clogs, salt alone will scour the inside of the pipe, since it is so coarse and abrasive. Measure a 1/2 cup of salt. Then pour it directly down the drain.^{[5]
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2
Rinse the drain with boiling water. Boil 4 cups of water first. Pour this slowly down the drain. Aim the water directly into the drain to avoid scalding yourself with any splash-back. Once the boiled water has gone, run hot water from the tap to further flush the drain.^{[6]
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3
Repeat. Since you are only using salt, you will probably need to do this a few times to remove the clog. Continue to add salt in 1/2-cup increments, flushing with boiling water each time, before adding more.^{[7]
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Research source} Avoid dumping too much in at one time.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Mixing Baking Soda, Salt, and Vinegar

1
Pour dry ingredients down the drain. Use a narrow cup or glass for mixing. Pour in a 1/2 cup of baking soda.^{[8]
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Research source} Add a 1/4 cup of salt. Stir until they are evenly mixed. Remove the stopper from the drain if there is one. Then pour the contents down the drain.
2
Add warm vinegar. Heat 1 cup of vinegar in the microwave or on the stovetop. Once it reaches simmering, pour it directly down the drain. Cover the drain immediately with a stopper, plug, or even the bottom of the cup or glass you used for mixing, because the baking soda will cause the vinegar to froth and bubble. Contain the reaction within the drain as much as possible for best results.^{[9]
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3
Rinse the drain with boiling water. Wait 15 minutes so the clog can absorb the mixture as much as possible. For tougher clogs, wait 30 minutes. In the meantime, boil 2 cups of water. Once the clog has had time to soak, remove the drain cover and pour the boiling water down the drain to rinse, followed by hot tap water.^{[10]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

Do you need to use the salt?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

No, you can just use baking soda and vinegar. The salt may help, but I've never used it before.
Question

Can you use brown vinegar?

Community Answer

Yes, you can try brown vinegar if that's all you have. Generally people usually use white vinegar for cleaning because they're afraid of stains from darker varieties, but for a drain that shouldn't matter.
Question

Why does the water I'm running down the garbage disposal in the left sink of a double sink sometimes come up in the right hand sink while I'm running the disposal?

Community Answer

If you are disposing of a lot of garbage then it will start clogging the drain until the water washes it down the drain. In the meantime, the water will normally come up on the right side. Best to not try to dispose of too much at a time or you may end up cleaning out the drain. I have done this and ended up taking the drain apart and manually clearing out the garbage. Go slowly when using the disposal, and make sure you've got the water running on full blast.