Does coconut oil clog your drains?
This is a common question asked often on my blog, especially on my coconut oil coffee body scrub and whipped body butter recipes.
Nobody wants to ruin their plumbing by using coconut oil in the bathroom. I get it!
First, I want to say that in all my years of using coconut oil I haven’t had an issue with drains clogging. Here’s the thing though, I always take very hot baths and showers which is one reason why I’m not too worried about my drains. You see, coconut oil melts at approximately 76 degrees. So unless you’re taking a cold shower or bath you most likely won’t have any issues with it clumping up and clogging your drains.
It does happen for some though. If your pipes are cold and there’s coconut oil in them it will harden until hot water runs through and melts it.
Tips to keep coconut oil from clogging your drains:
- After you use coconut oil in your bath or shower run hot water down your drain for 30 seconds to help flush it down while it’s melted.
- Are you oil pulling? Don’t spit your coconut oil down the sink! Instead, spit it out in a plastic bag or cup and dispose of it in the trash.
- When you cook with coconut oil, leave the oil in the pan and let it harden. Then use a spatula to scrape out the excess coconut oil and toss it in the trash.
- If you’re concerned about using coconut oil in your homemade bath scrubs, use fractionated coconut oil instead. It’s in liquid form and won’t harden in your drains.
How to unclog your drains naturally (without store bought drain cleaners)
If your drains are clogged and you’re looking for a natural solution to clean them, the following recipe works really well!
All you’ll need is:
- Boiling water
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
And here’s what you do:
- Pour 2 cups of hot boiling water down your drain.
- Then pour 1/2 c. baking soda down the drain. You might have to use your hands to get all the baking soda down the drain.
- Next you’ll need to pour 1 ½ cups of white vinegar down the drain, Yes, you will see bubbles. This is good! The bubbles help clean the gunk stuck in your drains.
- Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
- Then lastly, you’re going to want to pour more hot boiling water down your drain again to flush it all out.
FAQ
The easiest way to dissolve coconut oil in a drain is to pour boiling water, baking soda, and white vinegar down the drain. The heat will liquify the coconut oil, and the baking soda and white vinegar will pull it away from the drain walls and push it down
The easiest way to keep coconut oil from clogging the drain is by running hot water down the drain after the coconut oil. The heat will keep the coconut oil liquid – and then gravity will do the rest!
No, fractionated coconut oil should not clog your drains. Because it stays in liquid form and does not harden, it should be like putting any other liquid down your drains. For an extra dose of safety, run warm water for five minutes after you put the coconut oil down your drain to keep pushing it down and out.
Have you had trouble with coconut oil clogging your drains?
Leave a comment below and share whether you’ve had a problem with coconut oil clogging your drains and how you resolved the issue.
That’s a very good recipe. I am so happy to read.
I have enjoyed reading the information you have posted about some useful plumbing services to arrange a productive meeting. Really these are more useful and also helpful. I am very glad to go through your informative article. Thanks for sharing a nice blog.
Yes! Its works! Coconut Oil really helpful for cleaning ever! in the old days we used it many times!
Good option!
Eventually any oil in a drain will collect along the piping. Then bits and pieces start to collect to sticky greased up pipes, then oil sticks to bits and pieces, then bits and pieces stick to oil, over and over again until very little waste water can pass through. This can take years but it does occur.
Drain blockage situation eventually happen. use the hot water and costic soda, coconut oil, vinegar using from blockage.
I think regularly doing the hot water method would solve a lot of issues that are caused by build ups of oil and grease. Also, being mindful of what you let down your sink helps too.
I started using a homemade coconut oil scrub and it only took one month to clog my main drain. $350 and a big hole in the wall later… I should have known. I tried to use the baking soda fix and it just clogged it more. I now look at every shampoo and soap and use Rid-Ex regularly.
the same thing happened with me. the baking soda then hardened like concrete in there called the plumber and it came right out but now I am afraid to use bath oil
I have been having problem when flushing the toilet – always have to flush it twice. I use 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil in my coffee every morning. I was wondering if my problem wasn’t caused by coconut oil; on the other hand, I had been saving quite a bit on toilet paper.
I use coconut oil to “massage?” the stress away then flush it down the toilet. I recently had the toilet go super slow in my which never happens. The toilet will flush a hefty meal with a tone of tp. Luckily I was able to plunge it free and will no longer flush it eithier.
Moral of my story don’t flush it eithier!!! I have been doing it for years and this was the first time it did that but I learned my lesson.
I’ve had some leaking in my bathroom sink after it’s had repeated clogging over the past few weeks, and I think it may be due to the coconut oil that I’ve been using in my hair. It’s good to know that it melts at 76 degrees, so I may want to start restricting my coconut in-hair use for the shower, as you do. In the meantime, I’ll try out your unclogging solution and call a plumber to see if they can fix the leak that it made.
I boil my coconut oil in a double boiler. Using a glass bowl. I wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel and put in trash. It seems I can never keep my sink clean when washing those bowls. Help!!!!
great info. I always use coconut oil.
Great method to unclog your drains and it really works. So far I haven’t had any issues with coconut oil, but the first time I dyed my hair with Henna everything got stuck. (I now know not to be flush it down te drain but into a bucket first and then dispose of it) Baking soda and vinegar are amazing for these natural fixes around the house.
Oops, sorry for the typos!
My boyfriend is taking sodium chloride pills which is making his skin scaly dry. I made him a bath with a whole lotta coconut oil. It drained fine at the time. I had no idea it would clog. Went to shower this morning and my drain is completely clogged. It hit me that coconut oil is probably the culprit. There is water standing in the tub. Attempting to melting by pouring pots of boiling water down the drain. Not getting anywhere right now. Will try your remedy when it lowers some.
I have the same problem. How did you fix it
My tub is stopped up from coconut oil. It wont go down when I use the plunger.
Thanks for proving the information on Coconut Oil Clog Your Drains.I am unaware about this fact that coconut oil can clog the drains.I will be careful using coconut oil in the kitchen after reading this article.Thanks for sharing this useful post.
I recently had sum stuck in my toilet. I had to put a big pot of boiling water in there n don’t flush but plunge the hot water in there with a plunger then a big chunk of coco nut oil came out n I grabbed it n disposed of it. Coco nut oil does not belong in toilets or drains.
There is a big wax plug under your toilet that seals it to the floor. Hot water down the toilet is a no no on the regular unless you want toilet water leaking all over the place from melting that wax seal.
Great post! I would watch out if you are living in a cold climate because coconut oil has melts at 76 degrees F, so it the weather and pipes are much colder, it will solidify and can potentially clog your pipes. If you are suspicious about coconut oil clogging your pipes, run some hot water and re-check before you call your plumber.
I started using coconut oil in cooking and to use on my hands as a ski softener about 2 months ago. Despite letting the oil harden and scraping the old cooking coconut grease out of the pan and diposing in the garbage we ended up with a major clog and problems with our drains and pipes.
The plumber found chunks of white hard coconut oil that caused a narrowing of the out take pipe.
Our house is over 100 years old and we don’t have a in sink disposal unit, I do all my dishes by hand as no dishwasher. The house is quite large with lots and lots of pipes so no matter how hot the water eventually the coconut grease is going to reach a cooling off point where it’s not able to be flushed out into the main sewer system.
After this fiasco we have rethought the coconut oil in our diet. Not everyone is going to have our specific conditions that make using coconut oil probably hazardous to the plumbing but it’s something to think about.
Now I don’t know if this is true but the plumber who came out said he is seeing more and more coconut oil in pipes with the resulting problems.
Butter he said breaks down faster than coconut oil so causes less problems with plumbing. So, we had to stop using it.
We used coconut oil and baking soda for toothpaste for a while, and also for many other things as well. Despite using very how water to flush our pipes we still had TONS of oil that backed up in a certain area. My husband pulled chunks of it out of the drain while snaking it where he had to cut a pipe that was leaking.
I tried the whole baking soda/vinegar method with no luck. I’m not giving up though. I think the pipe leaking may have been an issue but not entirely sure.
It did make me sad when my husband said, “no coconut oil down the drain now”.
I just came across this blog because I’m curious if coconut used as lotion during the day might wash off during an evening shower and clog the drain. After reading the comments, I am absolutely APPALLED that so many people are spitting coconut oil into their sinks after oil pulling, rinsing coconut oil down drains after cooking, and washing it down the drain while bathing. PLEASE STOP DOING THAT!!! The golden rule of coconut oil is never EVER let it go down a drain.
I used a coconut salt scrub and it left my skin feeling good but my shower floor was slippery as heck, and I tripped getting out. Scrubbing Bubbles didn’t seem to do much good – do you have another cleaner you’d recommend?
Dish soap to clean the coconut oil away
Dawn dish soap was used for the gulf oil spill, and in the kitchen I keep it around for particularly greasy clean ups that my “green” cleaners can touch.
I work for a public utility department and am doing some research about essential oils impact on pipes. Stopped here and thought I should comment. You never want to put any type of fat, oils, or grease down your drain. Yes, you can run your hot water to melt the oil/grease, but after the substance leaves your house, the water will cool down. This will lead to a clog in the sewer line. The potential outcomes of this are the pipe causes a back up into your home (along with the other people’s wastes that have collected in the pipe along the way); a sewer overflow that comes out of a manhole cover and allows raw sewage to run into our water supplies and environment; and repairs and maintenance for the utility company to clean out the pipes, which results in a need to increase sewer rates to cover the expense of these repairs. You don’t want this stuff down your drains unless you want the expense and costs associated with it.
Plus out in the ocean, river or wherever the oil ends up, it clumps – oil has an affinity for other oil. Massive fat blobs are now seen in waterways around the world. Please, avoid letting any kind of oil go down the drain.
I used today for my shower drains, because i use coconut oil when shower… it worked thanks!
I started using coconut oil to wash my face about 6 months ago. It is amazing and my skin is glowing. However just this week my bathroom sink started to clog. I use pretty hot water so not sure how it doesn’t wash all the way down, but it is starting to build. I’ll have to try this and see if it works.
Hi Kristi,
I too use coconut oil to wash my face. Our bathroom sink keeps clogging up. I am really the only one who uses it every night to wash my face. My husband found so much gunk and you could tell it is coconut oil. I told him my routine and he said you can’t put oils down the drain. We have a septic system and I hope I find another way to wash my face. He suggested wiping off the coconut oil with a tissue. I don’t know what I will do! I too love the way my skin has been since using it.
Since we started using coconut oil to cook with our kitchen drain has been plugging up every month. We use the hottest water, heated by the sun, it comes off the roof almost steam, and turns the oil into a liquid but going down the drain, when it hits the cold pipe underneath the house, it turns into a hard as a rock solid and starts blocking the pipe. We had roto-rooter scrub out our pipes but because we continue to use coconut oil to cook with they continue to get clogged over and over. We have a long “snake” and have become experts on how to snake our own drains. We are having to wipe all our pots and pans with paper towels before sticking them in the dishwasher and still the coconut oil builds up one drop at a time. None of the enzyme drain cleaners have done anything. If we pour boiling water down the drain it melts the coconut oil and it runs down the pipe until it hits a section of cold pipe where it gets rock hard again. This is really horrible. I love coconut oil but I hate having to manually clean my drains so frequently.
You can try letting the coconut oil sit in the pans until it hardens then scraping it off with a spatula into the trash. After you do that I would take a clean wash cloth and rub the pan down then maybe take some sort of a cleaning wipe safe for kitchen ware and wipe the pan down real good and rinse with hot soapy water.
That’s exactly what I do.
We have had a sewer tank for 20 years it has been clean until we started using coconut scrub in the shower. It has clogged up in the last month three times. Now I have to figure out how to break down the coconut oil and get it out of there or else we have to spend $500 to get it pumped out. So yes coconut oil does affect your sewer line possibly not the drains but if you have a stand-alone sewer system it will affect that process.
Where are you all based and why is everyone throwing it it the trash?!! Compost your scraps people! It makes me sad that all these people who want to do clean living (or so it seems) can’t do this one thing to reduce the hideous amount going into our landfill everyday.
Claire- NEW-ZEALAND
RE: Composting: I don’t know much about it but I wonder with all it anti- fungal, bacterial, microbial properties wouldn’t the oil interfere with the compost process? Just wondering…
I thought you weren’t supposed to compost oils and fats?
But if you can compost coconut oil, it seems you could just wipe all pans with paper towels and then compost the towels.
But, of course, you won’t get every miniscule drop and so eventually it will build up unless enough hot water is run through often enough to move it on down the line to the bigger lines.
I hadn’t thought that coconut oil could clog my drain but it’s good to know so I can take steps to prevent it. I appreciate your tips to unclog my drain naturally, I’ll have to give that a try before calling a professional drain cleaning service. Thanks for the drain advice.
I always kind of assumed it did, but it’s nice to know it shouldn’t, and there are easy fixes if it does.
That’s a good point that coconut oil is a solid fat when it’s cold, so it might clog my drains. I was just given a coconut oil body scrub, so I will make sure to run the hot water for a while after I use it to play it safe. We should probably clean out our drains more often anyway.
You could try that. Even just a minute or two is better than nothing.
My wife and I brush our teeth with coconut oil and baking soda and the bathroom sink clogged up with the coconut oil. I had to take the plumbing apart to clean it out. We tried boiling water and it made it worse.
If there are already things clogging your drains, coconut oil will definitely make it worse. Just make sure your drains are in good shape!
My MIL apt’s plumbing was only 2 yrs old before my current renter moved in 6 yrs ago and started using coconut oil and coconut butter. Within 2 years, her plumbing started to slow down and by year 3, I was plungering, trying the vinegar and baking soda bit, gallons of HOT water, taking her U trap apart, snaking, Draino, caustic crystals, and several thousands in plumbers and handymen, as well as hours of DIY. Today it was so bad her kit sink refused to drain at all. A large diameter snake by my handyman made a big dent in a solid chunk of white coconut oil. Half my septic drainfield has also failed and the other half is now crippled and I can’t help but wonder how much that coconut oil & coconut butter MAY have contributed (or not). So yes, even NEW plumbing can be ruined by this new age cr@p!
I use coconut oil in our homemade toothpaste and have noticed my drains starting to clog. Maybe I should start trying the hot water thing in all our sinks. Once a month should be good right?
Just finished unblocking the kitchen drain and it’s coconut oil! i think it is from my blender jug in the morning after i’ve made my coffee with coconut oil, i tend to just rinse it out with warm water. whoops!
It is interesting how many problems can be solved with home remedies. I have been noticing issues with my bathroom sink after I used coconut oil and I was wondering the same thing! My bathtub didn’t show any signs of this, so I was very confused on the matter. I appreciate you answering my questions and your detailed instructions of how I can fix this without using bleach. I will be unclogging my sink soon, thank you!
Your sink likely has plugged up at the (elbow) junction where the pipe connects to the tub/shower pipe like my renter’s did. Once snaked, you’ll probably hear a loud gurgle in the tub and may even see it spout up through the drain.
That makes sense that coconut oil wouldn’t clog your drains if you take really hot showers. The fact that it melts at such a low temperature is a definite pro for using it. As long as I rinse things out with hot water I’m sure it won’t be a problem. I might just have to try this out.
Thank you for your recipe! It is good to know that you can unclog your drains with products you already have in your kitchen shelves. Greets!
This is a question I’ve asked myself a lot. I use coconut oil often but I din’t know if it could clog your drains. It’s good to know that it’s probably safe, but knowing how to clean your drains just in case is great. Thanks for the information.
Some great tips here. Oil can often clog your drains – it’s important to keep it out of there! I like these tips on keeping it out of the way, and what to do if it accidentally gets in there.
Thanks for the information. I have started using coconut oil more and have wondered this same thing. When I do oil pulls, I will be sure not to spit it in the sink anymore. I also really like your suggestion about using fractionated coconut oil in bath scrubs so it doesn’t harden in my drains.
I would have never though about coconut oil hardening and clogging the drain. Thanks for the warning and if I have a problem in the future, I will try running hot water through the plumbing. Your tip about letting the it harden and throwing it away will come in handy.
Thanks for the help. I have been using the coconut scrub and I think its has been clogging more often. I didn’t think about using fractionated coconut oil. I think that will really help especially since there isn’t a chance to let it harden and through it in the trash.
California is having a severe drought so leaving the water running while brushing or oil pulling and spitting is just selfish. My sink isn’t clogged but it’s reeking of mold since I began brushing with coconut oil several months ago. Gallons of hot water and 2 boxes of baking soda, plus 1 gallon of vinegar later and it’s still moldy. Thank you for this article though. In the comments section someone wrote about filling sink up with hot water because of the pressure of all of that water pushing down. I will try that. If it doesn’t work I will have to resort to nasty toxic cleaner 🙁 because I can’t live with toxic mold. No more spitting down the sink for wks now and still it’s moldy.
Interesting! I have never had an issue with my drains clogging before. I only use coconut oil for cooking though, not really anything else. It’s so good. I’m surprised that it could clog anything up, coconut oil melts at like 75 degrees or something. If my drain clogged, I would probably just call a guy to come do the entire house, my drains are nasty and they do such a good job!
I have never had an issue with coconut oil clogging my drains but any kind of oil going down there won’t necessarily be good for your pipes. As long as it is done in moderation I don’t see any issue. Thanks for posting.
I’m so glad I stumbled across this page! I’ve just bought my first jar of coconut oil and it didn’t cross my mind about it blocking the drains! Thanks for the tips. I won’t be putting it down the drains!
It’s clogged my drains twice. The plumber told me NOT to use boiling water as someone else mentioned as I have plastic pipes. Once it was due to coconut oil. The other time due to bentonite clay build up. Using epsom salts in my foot bath machine broke it. Going natural can be costly at times!
Laura, how did you get the bentonite out! We have a bentonite clog and can’t get it to move.
Yes! Last year (Winter) it completely clogged up my kitchen sink. The plumber who came out to unblock it said he hadn’t seen anything like it in his 20+ years of plumbing. At one point he thought he’d have to go through our patio to get to another part of the drain. Luckily he was able to clean it out from the sink. Otherwise, it would have been a very expensive affair! (including repaving the patio)…
It’s not my pipes I am worried about with using coconut oil it is my septic tank. Will it mess that up?
Been using coconut oil in cooking and on skin for several years – never had a drain problem. Why throw away good healthy coconut oil? Pour leftover oil into a heat resistant canning jar and store in fridge. Then reuse when cooking something similar. Then when scrubbing pan the scrubbing sponge or pad will become greasy and can be cleaned with dish soap so the grease won’t stick to the pipes. Coconut oil used on skin may get on clothes so it may be necessary to use a little extra laundry soap – and drains stay clear!
STILL ANY OIL DOWN THE DRAIN IS BAD, BECAUSE IT WILL BUILD UP FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, CAUSING PROBLEMS. DO NOT PUT IT DOWN THE LINE IF YOUR ON A SEPTIC TANK. IT WIL COST YOU LATER ON. BEST THING LET IT SET UP OR POUR IT OUT IN THE WOODS. THANKS CHRIS
Hey. You shouldn’t just be concerned about what coconut oil does to your drains, you should dispose of it with respect to the environment as a whole!! Jeez, drains go far beyond your front door. If you chuck a load of hot water down there that will only take it so far. Then it will clog up the system under your street or whatever. Just spit it in a tissue or rubbish already in the rubbish bag, that’s what I do.
Hi Tiffany,
I enjoy reading your posts and the other stuff that you send out.could you recommend something for sleeping?i am having a hard time in that.I sure could use some good night’s sleep.Thanks.
After spitting out my Coconut oil Pulling into a plastic bag, reusing the same one for two weeks, I found it never solidified ~ so I stopped using the bag! Granted, we have an instant hot water filter and I immediately tinse it down for a bit but I have never had a clogged drain and it’s been almost two years. I get why one might have issues, however, I am grateful we spent the money on our small and efficient water heater when we remodeled! My Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Rosie loves it in her morning meal, while I love it in my coffee! ♡♡♡
I have oil pulled with coconut oil on and off over many years, and have never had a problem with drains. I have heard so many claim spitting the oil down drain clogs them. I thought saliva has enzymes and the break down of food, including fats, starts in the mouth. I was going to do the gross experiment of leaving oil pulled saliva in a cool place to see if it solidifies, but you already did it. Thanks!
I also keep a jar of coconut oil in my bath room, I love when someone visit and notices it. I love answering the questions of why I use it.
I usually don’t put the coconut oil in my bath but, slather it on my skin after a hot bath & it melts like butter on my skin, I wrap up in an old robe for awhile and my skin isn’t dry like it used to be. LOVE IT !
I have used b.s. & vin and hot water, but sometimes I use my plunger if I’m in a hurry. We use lard, butter, and tallow & c.o. etc and they all seem to harden if the water isn’t hot enough.
I have been using the paper towel wipe, then vinegar and baking soda in the drain for a few months. Both drains (white plastic, I believe) are now leaking at the joints! It must affect the adhesive used on the joints!
Hi Tiffany, I’m Lynette, a 69 year old single woman. Just wanted to say I enjoy your website very much. I am a true fan of coconut oil and all things natural and a fan of your Coconut Mama website.
We have a septic tank. I wonder whether coconut oil can recongeal once it is in the tank. I’m adding a generous spoonful of coconut oil to our coffee and tea. When I rinse the cups I run hot water in them and also use hot water in the dishwasher, but don’t know what happens in the tank. I’d hate to inhibit the bacterial action in the tank. Adding the solid oil to our hot drinks is so much preferable to taking it by the spoonful as we were doing. Anyone know the facts here?
ShirleyRae, we also have a septic tank. In general we avoid oil going down the drain. I found an article that echos others in the advice on oil https://www.ehow.com/about_5723035_olive-oil-bad-septic-tanks_.html
In general, it does not seem that coconut oil should go down the drain if a septic tank is involved. The idea to dispose of it in the trash seems a good one. I now know that I have to be more careful and scrape dishes more fully to keep oil out of the tank. (We’ve only lived with a septic tank for two years.)
If you have a septic tank you will want to flush 3/4C of active dry yeast and 1C of brown sugar into your toilet once per month. This will add good bacteria with ready food into your septic tank to help keep your septic tank clean. My father has been in the water treatment business for 45 years and has had a septic tank for 32 years and has never had to have one pumped because he does this religiously.
Shirley, I have a septic tank too and have wondered what effect coconut oil would have on it. I brush y teeth with homemade toothpaste, with coconut oil in it, and I spit it out into the trash bag rather than in the sink. I’d love to hear if anyone has any info on the effects in the septic system though. I don’t put it in my bath water because of not knowing.
I always keep 4 sets of trash: A) what goes to the landfill, B) what goes to recycling C) what goes to the redemption center (We live in a state with 5cent refund on some things) and D) burnable. I usually put all oils -even with small bits of food in the burnable. I would not recommend EVER putting ANY oil down ANY drain. My husband is a plumber-he knows! Coconut oil re-congeals at nearly room temp, so hot water just moves the clog further down the pipes. Oil burns nicely. Just spit in a paper bag and place in the burnable. Scrape all grease and oils in paper and burn. I have never lived in a big city where you can’t burn, so I don’t know what to do there. But I would NEVER put ANY oil down ANY drain EVER. Trust me.
I have had a plumber tell me the same thing about oils re-congealing further down the pipe. The congealed oil(s) might spread out a bit when you pour hot water down the drain, but ultimately they are going to build up and slow drains and then create a clog. Always be careful with any kind of oil that is a solid at room temperature.
How am I supposed to handle the septic issue when I’m using coconut oil to wash my face and remove eye makeup? I can use a cotton ball to clean my eyes, but then how do I rinse my face and not get the coconut oil down the drain? I would need something to permanently break up the oil so it doesn’t hurt the septic. Any ideas?
I’ve had no problem. I do what you do, though, in all instances. When we’re brushing our teeth we’re letting the hot water run the whole time so as we…eh hem…spit….the hot water is carrying the CO w/ it…
Yes, I brush my teeth with a homemade toothpaste that has coconut oil in it and my sink gets clogged. So thanks, I will try your natural remedy for this. My bedroom and bath is on the third floor so getting boiling water there will be tricky and my sink would overflow with water, waiting for it to get super hot. Oh the perils!
Kathy – we have and love an electric tea kettle (I use vinegar to clean as we have hard water). It can be plugged in anywhere to have a pot of boiling water fairly quickly. Electric tea kettles run from reasonably priced to very expensive. If you use it just for water to pour down the drain, an inexpensive one should be fine. I hope this helps!
Debbie, are you saying you boil the vinegar?
Don’t pour boiling water EVER into pipes – hot water that has cooled a bit is okay but you you screw up your pipes – your kitchen pipes MAY be metal -bathroom pipes are usually plastic and it will damage them.
Thanks for all the great info! Just something to be aware of if you don’t have metal drains but rather the plastic kind. DON’T pour boiling water down the drain. It will damage the pipes. Really hot water but not boiling will work. I do a maintenance flush with baking soda and HOT water monthly, and use 1c baking soda then 1c white vinegar (hold cloth over drain so bubbles don’t escape), wait about 1/2 hr. pour HOT water about 2c down drain. Repeat if drain is still clogged. Works every time!
I just had the kitchen drain electrically snaked out last week. I think it was due to the coconut oil, I didn’t let the plumber know that, he said it was built up grease. But I never had that problem before I started oil pulling either. Now each morning I boil a pot of water and pour it down the drain, he told me to fill up the sink with hot water, don’t know how that would help, so I just use the boiling water. Thanks for this article, it is relevant.
I expect the filling of the sink with hot water is to add some pressure behind the hot water as it goes down the drain and would hopefully bring all that with it 😉
When you oil pull just expel the oil in the trash.
Not sure that pouring boiling water will be good for your pipes daily either- better to spit into a cup/container for trash. Less work.
Too funny! I just figured this out last week on my own! I was wondering why my bathroom drain kept clogging. I used vinegar and baking soda and it didn’t work. Then it finally hit me! Duh! Coconut oil, so I boiled water in my tea kettle and poured it down the drain. Good as new!!
Always take hot epsom salt baths(Mg) with just a small amount (1-2T max) of liquid coconut oil(melts in my hand). If anything my drains seem to flow better.
Live in a warm climate also.
Never put grease/oil or debris down my kitchen sink of any type.