Unblock your kitchen sink drain with this cheap household solution

Often a build up of food debris, grease and bacteria can turn your kitchen sink drain into a putrid smelling mess but you don’t have to spend heaps of your hard earned cash on fancy cleaners.

In fact, the secret to clean and efficient-working sink drain could be lying around your house and doesn’t cost more than a few dollars.

That’s the tip from plumber Daniel Smith who says to ditch the vinegar and bicarb soda for washing soda which are sold in one kilo bags at Australian supermarkets.

In a recent chat with the Daily Express, Smith explained that grease is acidic so you need something alkaline to combat it – so don’t use vinegar as it’s also acidic, and that won’t help.

Although baking soda is alkaline too, it’s often not strong enough to deal with a heavy build-up of grease and grime.

“If baking soda and white vinegar do not work and you want a stronger DIY option, washing soda is the next best option,” he told the publication.

“Sodium carbonate, sometimes known as washing soda, is a common item in cleaning household goods and an excellent do-it-yourself drain unclogging ingredient. Its alkalinity is higher than baking soda’s and is thus a more effective drain cleaner.”

So if you want to use this wonder powder best to follow the instructions on the packaging but the general advice is to pour boiling water down your sink and then add one cup of washing soda after the water has drained away.

Then pour another cup of boiling water down your sink, wait five minutes, then follow with another cup of boiling water. If all goes well your sink should start draining again.

If you still experience draining issues it’s best to get advice from a qualified plumber.

As we all know, sinks aren’t the only problem area in our kitchen and sometimes our appliances, like our dishwasher, need a helping hand too.

While washing soda can be used, sometimes we want a more compact solution to our cleaning conundrums, especially when we are short on time.

Enter the humble denture tablet.

Household wiz Claire Helen Barrand, who goes by the name @sisterpledgecleans, shared this nifty trick on her Instagram page.

“Want to keep your dishwasher clean and smelling fresh in between deep cleans?” she began.

Don’t waste money on plastic fresheners – Try this easy hack!

“Drop a denture tablet into the water well under your filter once a week.

“The citric acid and bicarbonate of soda in the tablet will clean, freshen, and loosen limescale without harming your machine.

“It’s affordable and takes just seconds!”

 

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A post shared by 🌸 Anita Birges | Home Organising Expert (@mise_en_place_aus)

The “brilliant” method was a hit with fans, many offering their appreciation for the advice.

“I swear by doing this,” one wrote.

Great tip, thanks.”

“What a brilliant idea, thank you,” commented another.