There was a thread about this a year or so ago. I recall adding my two cents and getting a chorus of agreements that baking soda and hot water/vinegar is only good for occasional cleaning of a working drain or a slightly clogged one. If it is plugged, chances are good that you are adding baking soda to the goop that is clogging it. We have had plumbers tell us never to do this. It only works if the clog is small or minor. It does not clear away the gunk like draino does. And, if you try to use baking soda and it makes the problem worse, do not ever use draino or any of those other chemical products because the combination in your pipes could cause an explosion. The advice to use baking soda always comes from a homemaker's point of view, not a plumbers. (not dissing homemaker's since I am one) Google plumbing answers to clogged drains and you will not see baking soda amongst the possibilities.
If you were to call a plumber, they would try a snake or a plunger to get it unclogged. Use a plumbing snakes fish it out or you can also try a plunger, like you would use for a toilet. After it is out, use an enzyme cleaner to prevent future clogs. We use an enzyme cleaner called
bioclean. The plumbers gave it to us when they installed our new pipes. If your drain is prone to clogging, or if it just smells funky, using this stuff will make a huge difference. Since we started using it, no clogs.
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