Drain Cleaner Method #2: Sodium Hydroxide
  1. Fill a plastic bucket most of the way full with cold water. Sodium hydroxide can react with metal, so a glass bowl is fine too, but don't use a metal pot.
  2. Add 3 cups sodium hydroxide.
  3. Pour this solution into the drain.
  4. Rinse with boiling water.

Then, how do you use lye as a drain cleaner?

Using a plastic spoon, pour a few tablespoonfuls of lye directly into the drain hole. Then, pour in about a quarter cup of water to disperse the lye as far as it can go. Leave it to do its job for a half hour or so then flush the drain with hot water.

Secondly, what drain cleaners contain lye? Crystal Drain Opener contains 100% sodium hydroxide also known as caustic soda or lye.

  • Clears tough clogs from pipes and drains.
  • Melts and destroys grease and other kitchen clogs.
  • Keeps drains running freely.
  • Not for use in toilets, garbage disposals or with aluminum, lead, zinc or galvanized pipes.

One may also ask, is Lye a good drain cleaner?

It is an effective substance for use in unclogging drains and is often one of the active ingredients in commercially available drain cleaners. Lye works because it is caustic and actually dissolves hair and grease, which are the root causes of the drain clog.

How do you make homemade drain cleaner?

Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt and pour down the drain giving you trouble. Follow by pouring 1 cup of heated vinegar down the drain (it will foam and bubble). Cover the drain with a plug or duct tape to prevent the mixture from escaping. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Related Question Answers

Will Lye damage PVC pipes?

As long as it's used properly, lye is generally safe for use in PVC drains. If you will use a lye-based drain cleaner on your PVC drains and pipes, always ensure that you're using the proper concentration because lye is a corrosive substance and especially so at high concentrations.

Can I put lye in my toilet?

There are several of them on the market, but we recommend using Pure Lye Drain Opener. It's a biodegradable chemical that offers industrial strength, so it's probably the only product you will ever need to unclog your toilet.

Can I pour lye water down the drain?

It's available in just about any hardware store. You can mix it with water or, for maximum effect, you can pour the powder directly into the drain hole of the sink. When using lye for unclogging the drain, remember that lye is a corrosive substance.

How long does Lye take to clear a drain?

Allow the lye solution to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Run clean, hot water through the pipes for one to two minutes to rinse all traces of the lye out of the pipes.

Does lye eat through plastic?

Sodium hydroxide (lye) reacts with aluminum. Stick with stainless steel, heavy duty plastic and glass. Here are some options. When it comes to plastic, choose plastic with the plastic code #5 on it, which means that the container is made from polypropylene.

What does Lye do to drains?

It is an effective substance for use in unclogging drains and is often one of the active ingredients in commercially available drain cleaners. Lye works because it is caustic and actually dissolves hair and grease, which are the root causes of the drain clog.

What happens if you add water to lye?

Mixing water and lye creates an exothermic reaction that causes a dramatic temperature increase. Adding lye to room temperature water can cause the water to reach temperatures up to 200 ° F. The mixture also creates fumes, which should not be inhaled.

Is pure lye safe for pipes?

A natural drain opener, Pure Lye is biodegradable, odorless and non-acidic; safe on fine fixtures, chrome trim, and metal or plastic pipes.

What happens when you mix lye and vinegar?

Adding vinegar (an acid) to lye (a base) creates a chemical reaction that releases more heat. Additionally, the act of putting vinegar on a lye burn hurts. Just use water as the MSDS sheet suggests. This is because the lye solution still has the potential to irritate the skin once mixed with soaping oils.

What is the most effective drain cleaner?

So here is my list of The 10 Best Drain Cleaners.
  1. Green Gobbler GGDIS2CH32 Drain Cleaner.
  2. Drano Max Gel Drain Cleaner.
  3. Bio-clean Drain Cleaner.
  4. Thrift GIDDS-TY Drain Cleaner.
  5. Green Gobbler (5 Pack) Drain Cleaner.
  6. XIONLAB Drain Cleaner.
  7. Professor Amos SuperFast Drain Cleaner.
  8. Green Gobbler Ultimate Main Drain Drain Cleaner.

Can I pour sodium hydroxide down the drain?

Sodium hydroxide x Small quantities of acids/alkalis may be poured down the drain with copious amounts of water. Palladium hydroxide x Only in highly diluted aqueous solutions; otherwise disposed of as hazardous waste. Pentane x Water phases containing minor residues may be poured down the drain.

Will Lye damage cast iron pipes?

At the strength used to clear clogged drains, lye is absolutely hazardous to anything organic it contacts. At the concentration recommended for cast iron cleaning, it is still a skin irritant and potentially damaging to the eyes.

Can I leave drain cleaner overnight?

This product is safe for pipes, and if you have an especially slow drain you can safely let it sit overnight. For fully clogged drains, wait for the drain to clear completely.

What acid do plumbers use to unclog drains?

Hydrochloric acid

What is the active ingredient in drain cleaner?

sodium hydroxide

Is baking soda and vinegar safe for drains?

Pour boiling water down the drain again. The bubbling reaction from the baking soda and vinegar helps to loosen the drain clog, and the boiling water in step 4 helps remove it from your pipes. Baking soda and vinegar can serve as a natural drain cleaner.

Will lye dissolve hair?

Lye is available in liquid, pellet, flake or powder from most home improvement or hardware stores. Lye works because it is caustic and actually dissolves hair and grease, which are the root causes of the drain clog.

Does Home Depot carry lye?

Instant Power Crystal Lye Drain Cleaner-1650 - The Home Depot.

What products have lye in them?

Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, also known as lye or caustic soda, is an extremely caustic (corrosive and damaging to human tissue) white solid that readily dissolves in water. Sodium hydroxide is used in the manufacture of soaps, rayon, and paper, in petroleum refining, and in homes as drain cleaners and oven cleaners.

Can Lye damage pipes?

Warning. Lye is very effective at unclogging drains, and PVC drains and pipes should have no problem tolerating the chemical as long as it's used according to direction. And never combine lye with other chemicals such as acid-based cleaners. Explosions and possible personal injury can occur if you do.

What is household lye?

Sodium hydroxide in household products, Industrial uses of sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, also known as lye or caustic soda, is an extremely caustic (corrosive and damaging to human tissue) white solid that readily dissolves in water. Sodium hydroxide is one of the strongest bases commonly used in industry.

Can you get lye at Walmart?

Soap Making 99% Pure Lye NaOH (10-lbs 160-oz) Food Grade micropearls - Walmart.com - Walmart.com.

Can I use crystal lye drain opener for soap making?

Instant Power Crystal Lye Drain Opener is a Powerful 100% lye formula which creates heat to melt and dissolve grease, hair, soap, scum, and other drain clogging material. Clears drain lines in 15-30 minutes. For use in kitchen and bathroom sinks, tubs, and showers. Also can be used for soapmakers!

Why are Drain cleaners made of strong bases?

They're bases, so they give electrons to the clogging substance, and their hydroxide ions create the reaction that clears the clog. Their alkaline, or basic, chemicals release heat and turn grease into a soap-like substance that's more easily dissolved.

What household items contain sodium hydroxide?

Two of the more common household products containing sodium hydroxide are drain cleaners and oven cleaners. When most pipes are clogged it is with a combination of fats and grease.

What are lye crystals used for?

Maxpower Lye Crystals are a professional strength chemical used to dissolve clogs in bathroom sinks, tubs, and shower drains.

Can you use bleach instead of Drano?

Bleach Disinfects Drains, But It Doesn't Clear ClogsLike sodium hydroxide, the main ingredient in Drano, sodium hypochlorite is alkaline but isn't as caustic and won't eat its way through solid matter in the drain. Few plumbers recommend Clorox to unclog drains, but that doesn't mean there's no benefit to using it.

Will Apple cider vinegar unclog a drain?

Unclogging drainsUsing ACV, however, is a natural solution to unclog drains (that really works!). Recipe: Sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda into your drain, then follow with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. It will foam. After 5 minutes, flush the drain again with cold water.

Does baking soda and vinegar damage pipes?

No, the baking soda/vinegar reaction created in a drain/household plumbing system does not take place in a closed system so pressure can't build up enough to blast a clog out of the pipes.

What can dissolve hair in a drain?

Bleach is a “basic” chemical and hair is “acidic”. The neutralization reaction between an acid and a base produces a salt and water. Bleach can dissolve any fiber that has acidic properties. Next time you have a bathroom sink, shower, or bathtub draining slow try pouring a cup of liquid bleach into the drain.

How do you clear a slow drain?

There are many ways to fix a slow drain, and the first method you can try is an old - time home remedy. First, pour a half of a cup of table salt into the drain. Then, pour a half of a cup of baking soda in the drain. Follow this by pouring a half of a cup of vinegar into the drain over the salt and the soda.

What is a good substitute for Drano?

Here's a simple home remedy that's a safe alternative to drano and made from ingredients you likely have lying around the house: Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain and follow it with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Let it sit for 20 mins – 1/2 hour and then pour about 2 quarts of boiling water down.

Can bleach unclog a drain?

Bleach is not good to unclog a drain. It's ineffective to use bleach to clear a clogged drain because it won't eat through the hair, washcloth bits, toothpaste and other matter that gets trapped inside pipes.