The Alka-Seltzer Hack That'll Quickly Unclog Your Slow-Draining Sink

A slow-draining sink is a real-life frustration. It won't bring down nations or threaten world peace, but it will ruin a day. Regardless of whether it's a kitchen or bathroom sink or a shower drain, the yucky backup from the water flowing slowly is gross and distressing. Almost as disgusting as the nasty commercial stuff they sell to clear clogs, with warnings that make you feel like putting on a hazmat suit before you crack them open. But what if you have a couple of super-safe products already in your home that will solve that slow drain problem? Alka-Seltzer and vinegar. You thought Alka-Seltzer was just to make your stomach feel better, but there are genius Alka-Seltzer home hacks you wish you knew about sooner, and breaking down drain clogs is in its wheelhouse. Alka-Seltzer's main ingredient is sodium bicarbonate, along with small amounts of citric acid and salicylic acid. (Sodium bicarbonate is the same thing as baking soda.)

When you combine the sodium bicarbonate (chemically, a base), and white vinegar (about 7% acetic acid), you get a reasonably strong chemical reaction, releasing carbon dioxide (the fizzing bubbles). In your sink's drain, that reaction creates enough force to clear a clog. All without nasty chemicals. It may not be sufficient to clear extremely stubborn clogs, but it is surprisingly effective in most cases.

It's not complicated to give this Alka-Seltzer hack a try. Go to your medicine cabinet, grab four tablets, and prepare a cup of white vinegar. Before you start, get a pan or teakettle of water boiling on your stove. Drop the tablets down the sink. Some folks recommend breaking the tablets up into slightly smaller pieces, which will make it easier to get them down to the clog. It will also expose more surface area of the tablets to the vinegar, making the chemical reaction stronger in less time. Once the tables are down the sink's drain, immediately pour the vinegar into the drain. You should be able to hear the fizzing of the chemical reaction. Allow the mixture to work for about 10 minutes. Then pour the boiling water down the drain. With that done, turn on the tap and run warm water down the drain for several minutes. If the drain still runs slowly, repeat the process.

As stated, Alka-Seltzer has many uses. Now that you have the clog problem solved, use the fizzing tablets as a hack to keep your drain from clogging again and keep it smelling fresh. Simply drop two or three tablets down your drain once a week, then run a small amount of water from the tap and allow the tablets to fizz away, The alkaline properties of the Alka-Seltzer will break down potential clogs and freshen the drain at the same time.