Down the drain — or not

Sometimes, harsh chemicals aren’t always the answer. And those can be tough on your pipes, not to mention the environment.

Considering their daily use – and sometimes abuse – it’s no wonder our kitchen and bathroom drains get clogged. Thanks to toothpaste, soap, shampoo, hair, food and who knows what else, it can be challenging for even the smallest trickle of water to make its way down the pipes.

• If the water isn’t backed up in the sink, try pouring 1 cup of baking soda and then 3 cups of boiling water in the drain. The boiling water will make the baking soda more alkaline and help clear the clog. You can repeat this procedure a few times.
• Try the above baking soda method and then add 1 cup of vinegar. The baking soda and vinegar will react, causing bubbles and fizzing that that help unclog the drain.
• Try washing soda, which is more alkaline than baking soda. Don’t use washing soda if you’ve already used a commercial drain cleaner as the two will react to each other.
• Break out the plunger, which can be an easy and chemical-free way to clear a drain, particularly a more minor clog.
• In your bathroom or other drains that tend to collect hair, try pouring a cup of washing soda followed by plenty of water through the drain once a month. A little bit of drain maintenance is better than a messy, clogged sink.
• For your kitchen sink and garbage disposal, use a natural enzyme culture drain cleaner periodically to reduce odor in your garbage disposal and to eat away at any organic matter building up in your drains.