Would baking soda be clogging my drains?

[kamilla626]

We finally went out and bought a harsh name-brand drain declogger for our bathtub because the drain was so slow. I assumed it was mostly from soap and hair, but then I wondered if baking soda would clog it?

I use baking soda on my hair - a couple tablespoons a day - and dd loves to play with a little cup of baking soda in the tub. She pretends it's food, washes her rubber ducky with it, etc.

But BS doesn't really desolve, right? So is it just building up in my pipes?

[Robin926]

Hmm I'm not sure if it's the BS, but if it is, just pour some white vinegar down the drain. I do that to clean my drains in the kitchen all the time. The fizzing seems to help them, and the acid neutralizes the base (BS).

I have waist-long hair though so my drains are always getting clogged with hair. I'm not sure if there's a more natural way to unclog if that's the real problem.

[rabbithorns]

BS became a rock in my kitchen pipes after only 3 months. It broke one of the plumber's snakes and the second broke through it. It looked like pieces of cement-hard chalk. I don't recommend BS because of this. It cost us a fortune to fix the whole mess.

[lilsishomemade]

Hmm...I actually use baking soda to help clean my drains-a cup of baking soda with a cup of white vinegar. They react and the vinegar helps the baking soda dissolve. Then, I pour a pot of boiling water down the drain, which does dissolve baking soda. I needs to be boiling.

[Alkenny]

I would think the hair would do more damage than the baking soda. I use baking soda also, and have never had a problem with it. (I also unclog my drains the same way.)

[sohj]

ditto what Alkenny said.

And, I use an enzyme drain opener when necessary. Not toxic and it doubles as a pre-soak for certain kinds of laundry.

[rabbithorns]

What was funny about my BS clog was trying to solve it with more BS and vinegar.....That sure didn't work!

[aisling]

I've not had any issues with BS either. Lots of issues with hair, but not the BS.

We live in a really old house with really old pipes and we have to stay really on top of clogs.

I do a BS/Vinegar treatment + boiling water in all the drains every Sunday.

I still often have to make use of the plunger. Plungers are a God-send in this house! I go to the plunger before I go to the Drain-O. It defintely takes some elbow grease, but its worth it. Plug up any secondary drain (to help with suction) and go to town.

But...even still...I usually keep a bottle of the commercial drain opener on hand for the really tough jobs. Those usually happen when I have been a bit lazy in my routine treatment.

[Rebecca]

I'd bet it's a hair clog with baking soda hardening around it. Old pipes can have lots of snaggy bits that hair clings to... just thinking about it is making my stomach turn... hair clogs are one of my barf-triggers.

[livinzoo]

If your water has a high General Hardness (rich in calcium and magnesium) than baking soda will cause a precipitation of calcium or magnesium carbonate. This can definitely clog your drains. Acids like vinegar will help dissolve it. Maybe use vinegar once a week or more to keep it under control.