Be Your Own Liquid Plumber

nintenblog / cc

Not too long ago, my coworker Joel, the lad who sips his Starbucks across from me in the office, stood up and said, “So is there some kind of cruelty-free Drano-type stuff or something? I have this clog …”

My response went something like, “Dude, you can just make stuff out of kitchen items.”

Joel then listened attentively while I disclosed the secret recipe—which, by the way, is so powerful that it is essentially going to be responsible for the downfall of the commercial, animal-tested, drain-unclogging product world:

Oh, all you have to do is pour about ¼ cup of baking soda into the drain and then add about ½ cup of white vinegar. When it stops “bubbling,” follow up by pouring in a big pot of boiling water.

Joel didn’t think this homespun domestic-diva method would work, but the next day, he came to work beaming and exclaiming many praises in my direction. I also think that this whole experience has pushed him closer to his hero, Mario. I mean, as far as six degrees of separation go, I think becoming his own plumber must have bumped the gap up to at least 5 degrees somehow.

While this technique has almost always worked perfectly for me, I have occasionally—for larger hair-type clogs—had to incorporate a plunger and/or an untwined metal hanger. For those who still want to find a good commercially made cruelty-free drain opener, check out this one from Earth Friendly Products.