It might sound like a waste of money but it’s a quick and easy way to prevent a common December problem with your drains.
Vinegar down your drains in October can help prevent a serious problem (Image: Alex Evans)
Mrs Hinch’s best tips for clearing your sink drains
Winter has definitely got well under way this December with heavy rain, freezing cold, winds, ice, frost and even snow all hitting the UK in recent days and weeks – and more nasty conditions are still to come in January too.
And when the weather does take a downturn, with colder conditions, heavy rain and even snow possible this side of Christmas, the last thing you want is to look outside and see water all over your garden, driveway or even seeping into the foundations of your house. Especially when getting a tradesman out over Christmas is both difficult and expensive.
That can happen, though, when heavy rain meets blocked drains and the drainpipes can no longer cope with the amount of rainwater pouring through them because your outside drain has blocked.
That’s why households are being urged to pour vinegar into their drains in order to help keep them clear in the new year.
If your outside drains are regularly blocking up, you don’t need to spend huge sums of money on expensive drain cleaners – just using vinegar and baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can keep them running smoothly without having to unblock them all the time.
Plumbing website Wolseley explains: “Outside drains do many important jobs, handling everything from domestic waste to leaves and outdoor debris. This means that they can become easily blocked, but luckily drain unblocking is quite simple to do by yourself if a problem occurs.
“The best way of preventing your drains from blocking is by controlling what goes down them. If your drains connect to the inside of your home, you should make sure that no-one is putting cooking grease or coffee grounds directly down the drains as these are common causes of blockages.
“You can also add grates and filters to your outside drains to stop garden debris from blocking them. These are very effective against leaves which can contribute significantly to blockages. You can also add small filters to your plugholes indoors to catch food waste and hairs from being flushed down and contributing to blockages.
“If your drains regularly block despite precautions, you may wish to start putting baking soda, vinegar, or small amounts of a chemical drain cleaner down your drains to help keep them clear for longer.”
Website Plumbcare explains how to use vinegar and baking soda to clear a blocked drain too. It says: “Mix 2 parts baking soda and 1 part salt and pour down the drain. Warm 4 parts vinegar and pour down on top of the baking soda and salt. It will bubble and fizz. Let it work for 15 minutes and then flush through with hot water.”
