Aussie mum shares her easy method for fixing a slow draining sink

Kitchen sink drains are one of those spots in the house that tends to get forgotten in your cleaning routine. This can leave them smelly, dirty and clogged, which can result in water moving down the pipe slower than it should.

TikTok cleaning guru Carolina McCauley has come to the rescue with her method for fixing a slow drain which she shared in a video tutorial. It only takes a few steps and the bonus is you probably have the pantry staples you need on hand.

The supplies you'll need for this hack are dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, a cloth and hot water.

Carolina starts the process by adding one tablespoon of dish soap to the drain followed by half a cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar. Then you'll need to cover with a cloth and leave for 10 minutes.

When the time is up Carolina pours hot water down the drain for a final rinse.

"No more slow drains," the voiceover on the TikTok clip said.

The cleaning technique intrigued the Aussie mum's followers, with one asking what the process actually does to fix a slow drain.

"The vinegar makes the baking soda react and it foams up and pushes the clog or dirt further down the drain," a follower responded.

While another TikToker commented the dish soap was unnecessary for this, it does actually make a difference. The detergent, particularly those with a degreaser, breaks down grease build up.

There is, however, some debate as to whether mixing vinegar and bicarb soda does anything. The products neutralise each other when mixed together in equal parts, but some think the bubble effect and the carbon dioxide that's released assist in clearing the drain.

If it's just a smelly drain you need to fix. You can skip the baking soda and vinegar and just drizzle a small amount of dish soap and then pour hot water over it.

But if those techniques fail, it could be that there is a bigger blockage going on in the pipes and it's probably time to call a plumber.