The garbage disposal and drain in my kitchen sink is temperamental, to say the least. (A more accurate description would be to say that my drain is a diva of the first rank!) Over the years I’ve had several unpleasant experiences with backed up pipes, so these days I am extremely careful about what I put down it. No rice, no eggshells, no vegetable peels, etc.

But a few years ago, before I had learned my lesson about our finicky drain, I made the not-so-smart decision to put a bunch of discarded cilantro stems down into the disposal. (I know – what was I thinking?!) And sure enough, the garbage disposal was running but no water was going down the drain. It just sat there mocking me!

I was grateful that my husband happened to be out of the house at the time, because I could already hear the lecture that he would give me if he found out about this incident! So in a desperate attempt to avoid receiving that lecture, I decided to try a method I had read about online to unclog a sink.

Step 1 – Add Vinegar & Baking Soda
Pour the vinegar down the drain of your sink. Then sprinkle the baking soda into the drain, then quickly put the drain plug into the drain. Hold it in place until the fizzing has subsided.

Step 2 – Wait
After the fizzing has stopped, let the sink sit undisturbed for about 30 minutes.

Step 3 – Flush With Hot Water
After 30 minutes, bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Remove the drain plug from the sink and pour the boiling water into the drain. The hot water will help flush out any clogs, as well as the remaining baking soda and vinegar.

Credit: one good thing