MM Drain Cleaner
Two different jobs, two different recipes — a light maintenance pour and a real grease-cutting declog, not one master recipe pretending to do both.
Maintenance Pour (weekly/monthly upkeep, odor control)
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup white vinegar
- Chase with a full kettle of boiling water after 10–15 min
Why it works: the acid-base reaction produces CO₂ fizzing, giving mild agitation against loose biofilm, then the hot water flush clears it out. Honest caveat: vinegar is a weak acid (~5% acetic acid) and neutralizes fast — it doesn't meaningfully dissolve grease. Good for upkeep and smell, not a real clog. Needs further investigation: how much the fizzing itself contributes vs. the hot water flush doing most of the work.
Active Declog (grease/soap scum clogs)
- ½ cup washing soda (sodium carbonate — NOT baking soda; more caustic, actual grease-cutter)
- ¼ cup table salt (mild abrasive, helps break up scum)
- 1 quart boiling water, poured slowly in two stages
Why it works: washing soda raises pH significantly higher than baking soda and saponifies/breaks down fats — it's the base ingredient in many commercial grease-cutting products. This step does the real chemical work, not just mechanical flushing.
Hair Clogs
Chemistry doesn't help much here regardless of recipe. A $10 drain snake or zip-it tool beats any liquid, every time.
Skip Entirely
Baking soda + vinegar + salt all mixed together. The salt does nothing extra once suspended in liquid — it's just the weaker maintenance version with grit added, despite being treated online like a super-recipe.