http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clogged-drain.html
Washing Soda to Unclog Drains
By Annie B. Bond
No lye, you can keep your drains from clogging a kinder and gentler way.
Washing soda is an excellent choice for helping drains stay clear because while it is alkaline—a pH of 11—it isn’t as caustic and damaging as the commonly used lye-based commercial product.
Ideally, use washing soda on your drains once a week to keep them clear. Just pour 1/4 cup or so down the drain, and then flush with water.
Washing soda is found in the laundry section of the supermarket. You can use baking soda instead by pouring 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by three cups of boiling water.
The boiling water will change the chemical composition of baking soda to become more alkaline like washing soda. If you already have a clog, try pouring 1 cup of washing soda (or baking soda) down the drain followed by three cups of boiling water. Repeat two or three times.
If you still have a clog, try pouring down 1 cup of vinegar. Being an acid, the vinegar will neutralize the washing soda or baking soda and there will be some foaming and gurgling, but sometimes this agitation is all that is needed in the end to dislodge the grime.
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23 comments
add your comment »this really works i've done it 4 years
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Great info ~ Thanks
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for you deborah -- got this off a web site ---
Call this phone number 1-800-524-1328 and have the UPC code 33200-03020. The service will ask for your zip code and then tell you places in your area that sell the item. I believe this service will locate most items if you have the UPC code number. My area said the Kroger store.
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do you have either fred meyers or kroger's where you are at deborah? i found the washing soda at fred meyer's a few weeks ago.
can't remember what section -- it was either with laundry detergent or it could have been with dishwasher soap -- i would ask.
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I have been looking for washing soap or ash for over a year and cannot seem to find it anywhere. I would like to be able to make my own laundry detergent and I have all the ingredients except for the washing soda which is not available where I can see it on the shelves or it runs and hides when they see me coming. If anyone can help me get my hands on some I would gratefully appreciate it.
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Try using less toothpaste too. Toothpaste companies advertise using a whole bunch of toothpaste on the brush, but most of that will fall into the sink. Try putting only enough so it barely makes a light layer along the tops of the bristles. It will save on the pipes and toothpaste.
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oo, thanks
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for several years i lived in a victorian in alameda ca. every week i used a mixture of baking baking soda and vinegar to keep the pipes from clogs.
one day the owner asked me why my pipes never clogged. i told her what i was doing and that it was written into the contract i had signed.
apparently i was the only tenant who was doing what we all were supposed to be doing.
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I would have never thought to do that thanks.
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i can't wait to try it. Tx
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