Households are being encouraged to pour vinegar down their drains this October to keep them in good working order as heavy rainfall returns to parts of Wales. The advice follows concerns that torrential rain meeting blocked outside drains can leave pipes unable to cope with the volume of rainwater, potentially causing water to swamp gardens, driveways, or seep into homes.
Why vinegar helps
Experts say there is no need to spend large sums on expensive drain cleaning products if outdoor drains are regularly becoming blocked. Using vinegar and baking soda can keep them working correctly without the need for constant unblocking.
Plumbing website Wolseley said: "Outside drains do many important jobs, handling everything from domestic waste to leaves and outdoor debris. This means that they can become easily blocked, but luckily drain unblocking is quite simple to do by yourself if a problem occurs."
Prevention tips
Wolseley added that the best way of preventing drains from blocking is by controlling what goes down them. If drains connect to the inside of a home, no-one should put cooking grease or coffee grounds directly down them, as these are common causes of blockages.
The advice continued: "You can also add grates and filters to your outside drains to stop garden debris from blocking them. These are very effective against leaves which can contribute significantly to blockages."
Wolseley also suggested adding small filters to indoor plugholes to catch food waste and hairs from being flushed down and contributing to blockages. If drains regularly block despite precautions, it may be worth putting baking soda, vinegar, or small amounts of a chemical drain cleaner down them to help keep them clear for longer.
How to unblock with vinegar
Website Plumbcare provided instructions on how to use vinegar and baking soda to unblock a drain. It advised: "Mix two parts baking soda and one part salt and pour down the drain. Warm four parts vinegar and pour down on top of the baking soda and salt. It will bubble and fizz. Let it work for 15 minutes and then flush through with hot water."
