Non-Toxic Drain Cleaning
Back when I first started the non-toxic cleaning series, someone requested a drain cleaning post. A great topic since drain cleaners are among the most toxic of household chemicals, you definitely DO NOT want to keep them around. Not only are they very dangerous and caustic, they’re not good for your plumbing. The people we purchased this house from used drain cleaner instead of cleaning out the drains and it actually ate through the metal in the shower drain and caused leaks in the pipes.
Most of the time drain clogs are caused by hair and soap scum buildup. It’s easy enough to clean them out by removing the stopper and using a wire hook to pull out hair. Not a pleasant job to be sure, but not as yucky as all those caustic chemicals. We use a piece of a wire coat hanger that we cut and bent into a hook. It resides in our bathroom cabinet for drain cleaning.
If drains are still running slowly follow this process:
- clean hair and other debris from drain
- pour a stock pot full of very hot water down drain
- let sit a few minutes
- put a half cup of baking soda down drain
- pour a cup of apple cider vinegar down drain
- after a half hour, put another stock pot of hot water down drain
- check drain to see if there is any visible debris
- if you see debris, remove it
- check drain flow, if still slow, repeat steps 1-8
Following these steps will clear most drain clogs. I’ve had great luck using this system, it works great. Mr Chiots has been very impressed with how great it works!
If you have a problem with clogged drains, consider adding a product that contains beneficial bacteria regularly. Just like regular consumption of yogurt and probiotics helps our digestive system, the same can help with your drains. Here at Chiot’s Run I use FLOW from Gardens Alive once a month in our drains. It keeps the them flowing freely and thus we no longer have issues with clogged drains. Once our kitchen sink was horribly backed up with a clog was somewhere in the long run of pipe between the sink and the big sewer line in the house. We tried everything, including a pipe snake to no avail. At our wits end, we tried this stuff and it worked. Ever since then we’ve been using it as drain maintenance.
To keep your drains clean and running smoothly, clean hair, soap and other things out of the drains regularly to keep them flowing well. Pouring hot water down the drain every so often to keep things running smoothly and will help you avoid future clogs. You can also use the process above every few months to keep drains clean. If you do experience a backed up drain, don’t reach for the drain cleaner. Try the baking soda/vinegar method above.
Do you ever get clogged drains? Any tips/tricks for non-toxic ways to clear them out?
NON-TOXIC CLEANING SERIES
Stocking Your Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit
Learning to Love Castile Soap
Make Your Own: Foaming Soap
Make Your Own: Infused Vinegar
Make Your Own: Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Make Your Own: Color Safe Oxygen Bleach
Non-Toxic Bathroom Cleaning
Friday Favorite: Charlie’s Soap
Friday Favorite: Twist Sponges
Homemade Whitening Scrub
more to come…
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Feeling Footloose
Humans are among the most footloose of species. Pilgrimages seem to be almost instinctive, or at least derived from behaviors now so ingrained in our species that it’s difficult to distinguish between genetic and social origins. Of all the animals that migrate, we are surely among the most restless. But humans retain the influence of the geophysical habitat in which they pass their formative years. And often, it seems, we are drawn back to our childhood homes–if not physically, then mentally; if not out of love, then out of curiosity; if not by necessity, then by desire. Through such ramblings we find out who we are.
John Janovy, Jr in Vermillion Sea found in A Year In The Maine Woods by Bernd Herinrich
In late July I started to long for a camping trip to the mountains. Perhaps it’s a response to all the busyness in my life at the moment. Whatever it is, the need to get away and disconnect is quite strong at the moment.
There’s no time in my life for such a journey, instead time was spent looking through all of my images from a few of our previous trips.
Mr Chiots and I have been talking about where we will end up on our next trip. A journey to the Southwest is in our future, as well as a long trip to Alaska. Hawaii is also on our travel bucket list, not so much for the tropical aspect but there are a few national parks on the islands.
With the big move this year, we’re not sure any of these are going to be feasible this coming year. Good thing the Catskills are right in the middle of our new home and my parent’s house here in Ohio. Perhaps a couple nights there on our trips to/from will cure our travel fever.
What locations are on your travel bucket list?
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Plants I Can’t Grow: Nasturtiums
I’ve been trying to grow nasturtiums for years. From what I hear, they are great in lean dry soils, but that doesn’t seem the be the case here. Perhaps my soil is just too acidic or silty for their liking. I can get them to grow a little and bloom, but they never look as good as these I spotted these beauties growing in containers at the National Garden in D.C. Granted these are probably fed a steady diet of chemical fertilizer.
This year I planted a ton of them on the back hillside where all those tulips were, but they’ve been languishing. There are a few plants that look OK, but most of them are still tiny little things.
A couple weeks ago, I gave them a bit of chicken manure and that seems to have perked them up a bit. They’re still a little thin and don’t bloom very profusely.
Funny thing is that I don’t really like them all that much, I don’t find them all that attractive. I continue to grow them because of the benefits they are said to provide. Perhaps my issues with growing nasturtiums will cease next summer in the new garden in Maine.
What is a plant that you simply can’t seem to grow in your garden?
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Quote of the Day: Bernd Heinrich
“I had not realized how varied and vibrant green, the color of life, could be.”
Bernd Heinrich A Year In The Maine Woods
The longer I garden the more I appreciate texture and what it brings to the garden. I’m starting to move away from plants with blooms in favor of those with different leaf shape, shades of green, texture or other unique features.
‘Hakone’ grass, it tops the list of my favorite green plants. With it’s bright variegated leaves, flowing shape, it almost looks like I have a waterfall flowing into my pond. When I purchased this plant it was a tiny slip with just a few green leaves. Now it’s a focal point at the edge of the pond. You can be this one is coming with me in the moving truck!
What’s your favorite all green plant?
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My Mom’s Potager in Late July
Last week I was over at my mom’s and took a few photos of her edible garden. I often help her with the garden chores, though this year, with the move, I’ve had less time to visit and work in the garden.
She was having trouble with a few baby rabbits getting in and eating her beans and peas, so she decided to put up a traditional scarecrow. I must admit, it looks great and I might have to put one in my garden next year.
My mom’s garden looks better than any garden I’ve seen. She’s reaping the rewards of years of hard work adding organic matter to the soil and avoiding chemicals. As a result, her garden retains moisture better than most do.
For over a month, we’ve been harvesting ‘Early Girl’ tomatoes from a really early planting in a cold frame super early in the spring. You can clearly see where I got my green thumb from!
Do you have any family members that have big beautiful gardens?
