We Tried Baking Soda And Lemon Juice To Remove Hair Clogs From The Shower. Here's How It Went

I like to joke that I shed like a golden retriever. It's gross but true: Errant long blond hairs are a reality during nearly every cleaning task. Add our duo of furry dogs to the mix, and our floors, furniture, and drains are magnets for canine and human hair alike. Usually, manual dehairing does the trick, but sometimes we're forced to enlist chemical help. The fizzy combo of lemon juice and baking soda can supposedly power nasty hair clogs away from drains, but does it work? I had little to lose by giving it a try.

We also have a septic tank. The dangerous truth about chemical drain cleaners is that they can harm a septic system's function. The harsh ingredients in many commercial drain cleaners may damage pipes and upset the necessary bacteria in the tank. For reasons both ecological and budgetary, DIY solutions made from kitchen ingredients always pique my interest.

Vinegar and baking soda are a commonly shared home remedy for unclogging drains, and this version of acid-plus-base could possibly be a better-smelling substitute. The recommended steps are clearing any clogs that are near the top of the drain, flushing the drain with water, and adding equal parts lemon juice and baking soda. After a 15- to 30-minute wait, following it up with a dose of boiling water should tackle the problem. So, I gathered my materials, set a kettle to boil, and got down to work.

The targeted shower is regularly used by two humans with decent amounts of hair. Tumbleweeds of dog hair also make their way into the drain pretty often. Ready to try this clever use of baking soda in the bathroom, I grabbed a flathead screwdriver to pry off the drain cover and a ½-cup measure along with my bottled lemon juice and baking soda. I used Safeway's store brand Signature Select 100% lemon juice and Arm and Hammer baking soda.

After the necessary, yet unappealing, main clog removals, I poured ½ cup of baking soda into the drain followed by ½ cup of lemon juice. The bubbly reaction was satisfying to watch. I chased the fizz down with a gallon of boiling water.

As I ran additional hot water down the drain, I noticed that the liquid passed down quickly without lingering. The trick appeared to have worked, but I had a few doubts. Were the drains slow because of a deep clog or just one near the drain cover? We'd have to use the shower for a few days to see if there was a noticeable improvement.

Several showers later, the drain is working smoothly. My husband, the inveterate skeptic, even admitted that it was draining more quickly. However, I'm unsure if the manual clog removal was really what did the trick. If there was a clog lodged deeper in the drain, and if it was a particularly horrible one, I'm also skeptical about how well it would work.

I realized that there were a couple of factors that might affect the outcome. First, since I used my stovetop kettle that only holds a bit more than two quarts, I had to boil two separate pots to get a gallon to pour down the drain. To be thorough, I admitted that I should boil up a whole gallon of water in a pot at one time. Once the bubbling commenced, I carefully maneuvered the heavy pot towards the bathroom and gave the drain an uninterrupted dose of boiling water.

One thing tugging at my mind was how our mountain home sits at about 8,500 feet; up here, water boils at a lower temperature than it does at lower altitudes. Would the hotter water at lower altitudes do a better job of breaking through deep clogs? Though all the liquid passed through the drain, I'd have to wait until the next few showers to see if we had improved drainage. Hotter water temps might be stronger opponents for major clogs.

After about a week of showers, I can share that our showering experience has improved in several ways. Water no longer accumulates around our feet while slowly flowing out. There was an unexpected benefit we noticed immediately: The musty, slightly fetid smell from the drain was gone after all of these steps. The lemon juice-baking soda treatment also left my shower drain sparkling.

Improved draining, smell, and cleanliness combined with convenience, affordability, and safety are enough reasons for me to keep this formula in my bag of tricks. The fact that we always have these staples on hand saved me a trip to the store and the expense of a more costly eco-friendly drain opener. Still, this might not be the best team to take on a severe clog lodged deeply in a drain. Considering the inexpensive and low-risk ingredients, this trick is certainly worth a try.