Even if your house guests can't see if there's a buildup of grime in your pipes, too much of it can turn into something they can smell.
Luckily, one Instagram user shared a tip on how to clean your drains and get them smelling good with just a few household ingredients.
The scoop
Instagram DIY and lifehack guide Alissa (@home.and.chaos) has a motto — "let's create a home we love … but on a budget" — and her hack to clean your drains does just that. It's a quick process using just baking soda and vinegar, with the option of adding lemon juice if you wish.
All you have to do is put a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by two cups of vinegar. The solution will bubble up, and then you'll need to place a rag over the top and let it sit for approximately ten minutes.
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After, remove the rag and rinse the pipes by running hot water through them. Squeeze lemon juice down the drain for a finishing touch that will help to keep everything smelling good, and you're all set!
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It's great for any and all sink drains — "I did my kitchen, my bathroom, and my laundry room!" Alissa mentions.
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How it's helping
Everything about this hack is simple and quick — using these common kitchen ingredients is inexpensive and means that you won't have to run to the store just to pick up drain cleaner.
Plus, if you have some leftover ingredients after cleaning day, you can repurpose them all to make a delicious dessert like this vegan lemon cake.
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On top of that, some drain cleaners have been known to damage your pipes over time, and there are debates about how toxic these cleaners are for the environment.
According to Green Living Detective, some mainstream cleaners aren't considered to be extremely bad for the environment. However, some do contain chemicals that are harmful to your health if you come in direct contact with them — for example, sodium hydroxide.
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These chemicals become diluted once they enter the drainage system, but at the end of the day, they can still leak into local bodies of water.
Plus, the plastic containers with residue inside will likely end up in landfills, where the plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose and will eventually release the non-diluted residue into the earth.
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What everyone's saying
Commenters on the post were staunch supporters of the all-natural cleaner.
One wrote, "Works like a charm! We always do this," while another mentioned, "Yes! I do this to our kitchen sink."
Other commenters hadn't tried it but were thoroughly convinced to do so by the end of the video.
"Okay, I need to do this!" said one user.
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