Tried to unclog a drain with baking soda and vinegar, ended up with a volcano in my kitchen sink

Last Saturday I had a slow draining kitchen sink so I figured I'd try the whole baking soda and vinegar trick everyone talks about. Poured about a cup of baking soda down there, then dumped a cup of vinegar on top and quickly put the stopper in. Within 10 seconds I heard this loud POP and a geyser of nasty brown foam shot up and sprayed all over my cabinets and my shirt. Learned that my drain must have been totally sealed and the gas pressure had nowhere to go. Has anyone else had this backfire or did I just do it way wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek_dixon784d ago

Did you actually read the instructions before trying it? Most people who do this right use way less baking soda and let the fizz settle down before capping it. Sounds like you just skipped the part where you're supposed to let it bubble for a few minutes first.

flores.tessa4d ago

Wait, you're telling me people actually let the fizz settle before capping it? I had no idea that was even a thing. I always just dumped everything in, screwed the lid on, and hoped for the best. Every single time I tried it, it was a disaster - foam everywhere, the lid popping off, stuff leaking down the sides. Now I feel kind of dumb for never reading the instructions past the first line or two. I guess that explains why my results were always so messy and inconsistent compared to what everyone else was posting. Your mileage may vary obviously, but I'm definitely going to try that next time with less baking soda and a minute or two of wait time.